Another Him
by Boot Sequence
Summary: Kris has been possessed by an otherworldly spirit for years. In a desperate attempt to rid himself of her, he turns to his new companions for assistance. As the Fun Gang sets off on a quest to eliminate this malevolent spirit, they quickly find themselves hunted by a merciless warrior, and soon realize this endeavor was far more than they bargained for.
1. My Own Worst Enemy

**Another Him**

"_The frontline of this war is not in the dungeon, but rather, inside the mind."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Chapter 1: My Own Worst Enemy

"_The true unknown enemy is within."_

_-Chosen Warlock (XCOM 2: War of the Chosen)_

* * *

The whispers hadn't stopped yet, and despite his best efforts, Kris was unable to tune them out. Glancing out his window, he let out a dejected sigh. This wasn't the first time Chara had forced him to violently tear his soul from his body, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Despite being intimately familiar with the feeling, he had never gotten used to it.

Chara had been living rent free in Kris' head for as long as he could remember. He wasn't even sure where she had come from. No one was. No one even knew she had possessed Kris until the first time he removed his soul. Ever since then, she had existed in the back of his mind, whispering of a plan to eradicate all life in this world. She never explained why she wanted everything dead, but her reasons couldn't have been good ones.

"Seriously, do you ever shut up?" Kris finally said to her. Her ominous murmurs were quickly grating on him.

"_Silence won't get me anywhere, will it, Kris?" _Chara's ethereal voice responded. Every word she spoke sent chills down Kris' spine. Everything about her seemed so unnatural and foreign, almost as if she had come from another reality altogether.

"I mean, silence will at least let me go the hell to sleep. And considering you're so hellbent on controlling me, wouldn't you want me to be well rested?"

If she had a physical form, Chara would've shrugged, _"Well, negotiation is always worth a shot, isn't it?"_

"I'd hardly call this negotiation," Kris said dryly.

"_I should've shattered your soul when I had the chance."_

"Yeah... Thanks for that lapse in judgment, by the way."

Kris silently thanked Officer Undyne for her late night patrols. He shuddered to think what would've happened if she hadn't heard him screaming, and quite literally kicked the front door down.

"Well, if you're done whispering sweet nothings into my ear, I'd like to get some rest," Kris remarked, climbing into his bed.

Chara's voice echoed again, filled with malice, _"It's only a matter of time, Kris. I _will _take control eventually. Your luck _will _run out eventually. This world _will _go empty before long. You know it as well as I do, don't you?"_

"As long as I have a say in it, you're not hurting anyone."

Chara continued with a false friendliness to her voice, _"Very well. Goodnight, _partner._"_

Kris lied awake for several moments, multiple thoughts going through his head. He was truly terrified of Chara. He knew she derived some sick pleasure from killing people, and he knew that she wouldn't spare anyone if she got her way. He couldn't let that happen. But, he was painfully aware of the fact that he was completely helpless against Chara on his own. He needed help from someone.

'_Who can I tell about this, though?' _he thought. Two names immediately came to mind: Ralsei and Susie.

'_We only became friends yesterday, though. I can't drag them into this...'_

He sighed deeply.

'_...But I might not have any other choice.'_

* * *

The next day...

Kris stood outside the school, his eyes darting back and forth between crowds. Susie was nowhere to be found. He had mentally rehearsed their conversation several times, but he still had no idea how she'd react. Would she be sympathetic? Would she laugh in his face? Would she even believe him? Otherworldly demons weren't exactly a common phenomenon, so he wasn't expecting it. Still, he felt the need to tell her. If there was any chance at all that she and Ralsei could help him, he had to take it.

"Hey, Kris!" Susie's voice shook Kris from his thoughts.

"Hey, Susie. I expected you to be late again," Kris replied, his voice low.

"I could say the same to you," Susie grinned.

"What can I say? Finding out the supply closet leads to an alternate world has a way of making school a lot more interesting. Speaking of which, we're still heading there tonight, right?"

"Hell yeah," Susie said with a smile. It was only the second time Kris had seen her genuinely smile, and he was just as pleasantly surprised as the first time.

"Great. I'm looking forward to it," Kris said, forcing a smile.

Susie's smile faltered, "Hey, are you okay? You seem kinda down."

"Yeah, about that..." Kris' gaze shifted to the ground, then back to Susie, "Susie, I need to tell you something."

"You're not gonna confess your undying love to me, are you?"

Kris chuckled, "No, but I really wish it was something as simple as that. I need help with something serious. It's gonna sound ridiculous, but I don't know where else to turn."

"After what happened yesterday, I think I'd believe just about anything."

"Alright then..." Kris went silent for a moment before continuing, "Susie, I think I've been possessed."

Susie blinked, "As in, by a demon?"

"Probably," an undertone of despair had crept into Kris' voice, "Her name is Chara. I don't know who or what she even is. I'm not even sure she's from our reality. I don't even know how it happened. I blacked out one day and all of a sudden, I had a demon in my head."

"Right... And when did this happen?"

"She's been with me for nine years now. I've got no idea how to get rid of her."

Susie's facial expression was unreadable, "Okay, so you've been possessed by a demon from another reality for the past nine years? Is that all?"

"Pretty much."

Susie contemplated this for a moment. Truth be told, she didn't find this situation to be too unbelievable. After all, she and Kris had gone from fetching chalk from the supply closet to overthrowing a tyrannical king in the span of a single day, so it seemed like anything was possible. On the other hand, Susie never believed in demonic possession, and she couldn't even begin to guess what interest an otherworldly being would have in Kris.

However, she could tell something was weighing heavily on his mind just by listening to him speak. Whether it really was possession or another underlying problem, she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, she couldn't just brush it off as nothing. This was her friend.

Finally, she spoke, "Alright, I believe you."

"R-really...?" Kris didn't expect her to accept his story so quickly.

"Honestly, after 'Chaos, chaos! I can do anything!'" Susie mimicked Jevil's cadence, "Possession seems pretty basic."

Kris grinned slightly, "Well, thanks for taking me at my word."

"So, what has... Chara been doing to you? What does she want?"

Kris looked down at the ground grimly, "She just wants to kill people. She wants to make the world 'go empty'. Sounds to me like total genocide. The thing is, she talks about it like she's done it before..."

"Why would she want to do that?"

Kris shrugged, "Hell if I know. All I know is she's using me as a vessel. She's gone so far as to make me rip my soul out of my body so she can have complete control."

"You can do that?"

"Apparently."

Susie took a moment to contemplate the situation before asking, "You think Ralsei would know anything about this kind of thing?"

"I don't know, but I think he's the only hope I've got."

"Well then, let's go see Ralsei after class," Susie grinned. "Think you can hold it together until then?"

"I think so."

"Then it's settled. And if that doesn't work, I can always decapitate you, right?"

"Why don't we save that for a last resort?" Kris laughed at her joke.

"C'mon, it's the ideal solution! If I axe you, the demon dies too, right?"

"I would prefer to keep living, if possible."

"Ralsei it is, then. C'mon, we're gonna be late," Susie beckoned Kris to follow her.

Kris began to smile. They had only been friends for a day, but he already felt like he could trust Susie with his life. He was truly grateful to have her as a friend.

He spoke, "You know, it means a lot to me that you're so willing to help me. Thanks, Susie."

Susie smiled again, "Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Kris whispered, following Susie into the school.

Just a few feet away, Noelle Holiday stood dumbfounded, having overheard Kris and Susie's conversation. She stood in silence, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. Was there really an alternate world so easily accessible? Was Kris' mind really not his own? Who was Ralsei? It almost seemed like the two had lost their minds.

Noelle quickly realized she wouldn't be getting anywhere on her own. She began to wonder if Kris or Susie would even be willing to tell her anything about these things.

'_Maybe I should ask them...'_ she thought to herself, _'What's the worst that could happen?'_


	2. Back in Black

Chapter 2: Back in Black

"_The old road will take you to hell, but in that gaping abyss, we will find our redemption."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Noelle watched from a distance as Kris and Susie were engaged in conversation. She had spent the past several minutes thinking of a way to question them about what she had overheard. Truth be told, she strongly doubted everything they had said, but the way they spoke about it made it seem so real... and if Kris truly was possessed, then he needed help.

Whatever the case may be about this dark world, she had to know for sure.

The only problem was her lack of confidence. Noelle was never very good at initiating conversations, especially one such as this. How was she supposed to talk about something she accidentally overheard, to the very people having the conversation she accidentally overheard?

Her mind raced with possible outcomes. On one hand, they might be completely willing to share all the details. On the other hand, they could be trying to keep this dark world a secret. Kris would probably appreciate her concern for him, but how would Susie feel? She was always notorious for her aggressive attitude. Then again, Kris had mentioned how 'surprisingly nice' Susie was...

'_Why does this have to be so complicated?_' she thought.

"Oh, hey, Noelle," Kris' voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Hi, Kris," she returned the greeting.

"Susie, this is Noelle," Kris said. "She's a friend of mine. I don't think you two have met yet."

Susie chuckled, "I didn't think you had friends before me."

"Well, you thought wrong. I'm not that much of an outcast."

Grinning, Susie extended a hand toward Noelle, "Nice to meet you."

"Um, n-nice to meet you, too," Noelle stuttered as she returned the handshake. She began to blush. Whether it was from nerves or her crush on Susie, she couldn't tell.

Susie smiled at her, "Why so nervous? You're not afraid of me, are you?"

Noelle's blush intensified, "N-no! I'm just..." her voice lowered to a whisper, "I'm just a little shy..."

"I can tell," Susie smiled. "I don't know why, but I kinda like you, Noelle. I think you and I will get along just fine."

"You're certainly n-nicer than I expected."

"What did I tell you, Noelle?" Kris chimed in.

"You were right."

A silence fell over the group for a moment. Noelle began to consider taking this opportunity to mention what she had heard. She was still nervous, but Susie's surprising friendliness definitely helped calm her nerves, as did Kris' willingness to introduce the two to each other.

'_Well, the worst they can do is say nothing, right?_' she told herself.

Breathing deeply, Noelle summoned the courage to speak, "Listen, Kris, I need to ask you about something."

"What is it?"

"Well, I... I kinda, accidentally... I overheard you and Susie talking outside."

They both seemed surprised.

"Then you know about the dark world," Susie said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"And my, uh... problem," Kris added.

"Well, not really," Noelle clarified, "Forgive me, but... it's a little hard for me to believe."

"Well, no one's gonna fault you for that," Kris commented. "I can barely believe it myself."

Noelle continued, "I just need to know what's happening. If you're really possessed, Kris, I want to help you. And if there's really a portal to another world in the school..."

"You want to see it for yourself."

"...Yes."

Kris and Susie stepped aside and began to whisper to each other.

"What do you think, Kris?" Susie asked.

"I think we should take her to the dark world with us."

"You really think we should just open the dark world up to the public?"

"C'mon, it's just Noelle."

"You really think she can keep a secret like this?"

"Hell, I'd trust her with my life. Besides, I think we'll need all the help we can get."

Susie glanced over at Noelle, then back to Kris, "Alright, I trust your judgment."

"Alright, we'll take you with us," Kris said, turning to Noelle. "Just, please promise me you won't tell anyone else about this."

Noelle nodded.

"Okay," Kris continued, "meet us by the supply closet after class. You know, the creepy one that seems to absorb light from the surrounding area."

"We'll tell you everything you need to know once we're actually there," Susie added.

"Okay, I'll... see you there, I guess," Noelle responded.

* * *

Later...

Kris and Susie stood outside the supply closet, waiting for Noelle to arrive. The sun had just begun to set, so the halls of the school were empty. They were eager to return to the dark world, but both of them wished it was under better circumstances.

"So, Kris," Susie said, "you think Ralsei will be able to get rid of that demon of yours?"

Kris shrugged, "I don't know, but I think he's the best chance we've got."

"Yeah, probably."

Chara herself chimed in, "_You don't actually think you can get rid of me that easily, do you?_"

Kris responded aloud, "Well, I was hoping."

"_It'll take a lot more than some basic healing magic to accomplish that. I'm a part of you now, Kris, whether you like it or not._"

"Whatever you say, chief."

"Who are you talking to?" Susie asked.

Kris simply tapped his forehead. Susie nodded in understanding, and the conversation ended there. The two were silent until Noelle finally arrived.

"Nice of you to join us," Kris greeted her.

"So the way to the dark world is in the supply closet...?" Noelle asked.

"Yep," Susie confirmed. "It doesn't make sense to us either."

Kris threw the doors of the closet open. "Ladies first," he said with a mock bow.

Susie stepped into the closet, with Noelle following timidly. Kris shut the doors behind him as he entered, cloaking the room in complete darkness.

"Stick close," Susie told Noelle. "This place doesn't have any walls."

"W-what happens now?" Noelle asked.

"We wait," Kris said. "Don't worry, there's no boss fight in here."

For a minute, nothing happened. Then, the floor began to vibrate intensely and crumble away.

"The floor's collapsing!" Noelle began to panic.

"Yeah, it does that," Susie was completely calm.

Noelle let out a scream of terror as the floor collapsed. The three began to fall, and everything went black.

* * *

When Noelle awoke, she found herself at the edge of a cliff. She glanced around at her surroundings. Over the edge, she saw nothing but black nothingness. The cliff face was dotted with several holes, each leaking a viscous, black liquid. They, along with the several eyes painted alongside them, created an unnerving atmosphere. Noelle shivered with fear.

"Hey, you, you're finally awake!" a voice from behind her broke the silence.

She turned around to see Kris and Susie, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome to the dark world," Kris said. "Trust me, it's not usually this creepy."

"And don't ask about the outfit changes," Susie added. "We don't understand it either."

"I was wondering why Kris had full plate armor," Noelle said. She glanced down at her own outfit: a simple red coat with green accents, black leather boots, and steel bracers. Fitting. Her eyes returned to Kris and Susie, and only then did she notice their weaponry.

"Where did those come from?" she asked.

"Oh, this?" Susie drew her axe. "Hell if I know."

"We just had them when we got here," Kris explained. "By the way, it looks like you have a crossbow."

Noelle reached for the weapon on her back. Sure enough, it was a wooden crossbow, loaded and ready to fire. She also noticed the quiver at her hip, filled with additional crossbow bolts.

"Don't worry, you probably won't have to actually use it," Kris mentioned. "In this place, it's pretty easy to talk your way out of fights."

"Although that approach almost got us killed," Susie sneered.

"That was one time, and I'd rather get through this without a kill count."

"Fine, you're the boss. Lead the way."

"Where are we going?" Noelle asked.

"We're going to see a friend of ours," Kris said. "You heard us talk about Ralsei, right?"

* * *

He watched them from a distance, the three 'heroes'. They seemed blissfully unaware of his presence. They seemed even less aware of the damage the human's mere presence in this world was causing... the damage _her_ presence was causing.

The Demon That Comes When She is Called.

Standing at the top of the mountain, he drew his blade, the silver blade reflecting what little light there was. It would be so easy to stop her, to prevent her malignity from taking root. But...

If they were going to visit Ralsei, he could kill two birds with one stone.

'_Later, then,_' he thought to himself, sheathing his sword.


	3. Friends and Foes

Chapter 3: Friends and Foes

"_Strong alone, stronger together."_

_-Freelancer motto (Anthem)_

* * *

"...so then he says, 'When your HP drops to 0, you lose,' and then all hell breaks loose," Susie said. She and Kris had been informing Noelle of their previous exploits in the dark world. Their retelling was mostly accurate, though Susie had greatly exaggerated her efficacy as a villain.

"I'm pretty sure that's the closest we ever came to actually dying," Kris mentioned. "There were bullets coming at us from every direction imaginable. And that cursed carousel..." he shuddered. "It didn't help that he didn't seem interested in killing anyone other than Ralsei."

"How did you survive?" Noelle asked.

"Luck, willpower, and furious pirouetting," Kris spun in a circle to emphasize that last point.

"It was a goddamn nightmare, but we got out of it with our lives," Susie added. "Sanity too, I think."

"I'm not so sure about that," Kris refuted. "I still hear circus music when it's quiet."

After a few more moments of slightly embellished tales of heroism, the trio arrived at Castle Town. Not much had changed; it was still completely empty, save for its prince.

"This is where we met Ralsei," Kris explained. "He's the prince of this town, even though no one lives here except for him. Apparently, he's been all alone here for his entire life, just waiting for Susie and I to show up."

"That's sad..." Noelle commented. Kris nodded silently in response before leading his companions through the empty town, up to Ralsei's castle.

He couldn't help but wonder just why Ralsei had been alone here. It wasn't a very large town, but it certainly wasn't small either. What had happened to this place that left Ralsei as the only resident? Could the old King have had something to do with it?

Kris decided to worry about it later. Those were questions for another day. Knocking on the castle door, he turned to Noelle.

"I think you're gonna like Ralsei," he said. "He's probably the nicest person I've ever met." He began to smile just thinking about him.

"It sure seems like it, from the way you talked about him," Noelle responded.

Despite the circumstances, Kris found himself eager to see Ralsei again. Even if he wasn't able to help, his presence alone would be greatly comforting. Kris wasn't quite sure why, but he had developed a very strong attachment to Ralsei in the short time he knew him.

Suddenly, the castle door opened just a crack, and Ralsei poked his head through the small opening.

"Hello?" he said, his voice soft.

"Hey, Ralsei," Kris greeted, a smile still on his face. Ralsei's expression brightened when he saw who was standing before him.

"Kris? Susie? It's great to see you two again!" Ralsei immediately wrapped his arms around Kris, who returned the embrace without hesitation.

Susie leaned close to Noelle and whispered, "Yeah, I forgot to mention. I'm pretty sure they're in love."

"I can hear you," Kris said, turning back to Susie. "And no, we're not." No one seemed to notice the light blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, I see you brought a friend," Ralsei commented.

"Yep. This is Noelle. She's been a friend of mine for a few years."

"It's nice to meet you, Ralsei," Noelle said. "Kris and Susie told me a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Ralsei replied. "I hope we can be good friends, Noelle." He beckoned for everyone to enter the castle, "So what brings you back here? Not that I don't appreciate the company or anything."

"Well, I was hoping you could help me with a, er... complicated issue," Kris said.

"What is it?"

"You might not believe this, but-"

"He's possessed," Susie cut him off.

"...Yeah."

"Huh...?" Ralsei was visibly confused.

"It's a long story," Kris said as he sat in a nearby chair. "Let me start from the beginning..."

Ralsei listened as Kris explained his experiences with Chara. The first time she forcibly removed his soul, her recent resurgence, and her insatiable bloodthirst were all recounted in vivid detail. Several times throughout Kris' tale, Ralsei had stopped to refer to the comically large stack of books he gathered in preparation, but still found himself with remarkably little useful information.

"...And that's basically everything," Kris concluded. "We came here hoping you'd be able to help us."

Ralsei was busy flipping through the pages of a remarkably thick book, muttering to himself, "No good... not relevant... too many inconsistencies..."

"There's really nothing helpful in that entire stack?" Susie asked in disbelief.

Ralsei let out a defeated sigh, "No... All these books, and I can't find anything helpful..." he set the book down on the stack, making it officially taller than him.

"Your magic's no good?"

"I'm afraid not. All I can do with it is heal physical wounds. I'm sorry..."

Kris placed a reassuring hand on Ralsei's shoulder, "You tried your best. I appreciate the attempt, at least."

"There's really nothing in that giant stack of literature?" Susie asked.

"Nothing that could help in this situation," Ralsei said. "I've never heard of anything like this before. I don't think I'd be much help with possessions anyway, much less one like this. If Chara really is from another timeline, I wouldn't even know where to start..."

Noelle spoke, "Is there anyone else that might know something?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

"You think Lancer knows someone who can help?" Susie chimed in. "He's the king, after all."

"He just became king yesterday, though," Ralsei reminded her.

"I mean, it's worth a shot, right?" Kris said. "We're just grasping at straws here."

"You're right," Ralsei conceded. "What could go wrong, anyway?"

"Then it's settled," Kris stood up. "Let's go see Lancer. And if he can't help, I guess we'll have to go through with Susie's 'decapitate me' plan."

"Okay, then," Ralsei said as he donned his hat, cloaking his face in shadow. "I have a feeling that this isn't going to be as easy as we think, though..."

"The Fun Gang is unstoppable, Ralsei," Kris declared. "If we can beat Jevil the nightmare factory, we can beat anybody."

"You call yourselves the Fun Gang?" Noelle asked.

"The original name was worse, believe me," Susie commented.

"We can worry about our team name later," Kris said. "Let's go."

He hated to admit it, but Chara was right. Things weren't going to be as easy as he hoped. Once again he and his companions found themselves on a quest to eliminate a great evil, with his own life at stake, likely along with the fate of the entire world. Despite the circumstances, however, Kris found himself contented. Somehow, this felt _right_.

He led the Fun Gang out of the castle. They were all surprised to see another person standing before them.

The ominous figure was tall, even towering over Susie. He was clad in gleaming silver armor, adorned with intricate patterns of gold. He wore a short, torn cloak over his right shoulder, much like Kris', though it was green and yellow. He wore a similarly colored hood over his head, and concealed his face with an iron mask. His eyes were barely visible, and shone with fury.

"Hey, Kris, I thought there was only one of you," Susie whispered.

"Ralsei, I thought you were the only one here," Kris said.

"S-so did I..." A sudden look of horror flashed across Ralsei's face, "Unless... it's you...?"

The figure spoke, his voice deep and resonating, "Yes, it is I."

"You're the Knight!"

"How very observant of you."

"Ralsei, how do you know the Knight?" Kris asked.

"In a very bad way, Kris!"

Noelle seemed confused, "Wait, who's the Knight?"

"Long story with a lot of blanks," Susie answered.

The Knight spoke again, "I see even the lightners know my reputation."

"What do you want with us?" Ralsei questioned, his stance defensive.

"I will make my purpose very clear." He pointed at Kris, "The human harbors a damnable evil. The four of you seem too ignorant to understand the danger her presence brings. I am here to terminate her, through any means necessary."

"I know exactly what 'any means necessary' means," Ralsei retorted with venom in his voice. "I'm not letting you near him!"

The Knight let out a noise that could be considered a laugh, "Once again you fail to understand. You were never willing to do what was necessary. This is not your decision to make, Ralsei. Stand aside."

"No."

"You're not laying a hand on him," Susie stepped forward threateningly.

"Very well," the Knight sighed as he drew his sword. His left hand began to glow with some sort of magical power. Kris and Susie drew their weapons in response.

"Kris, I don't think we can get out of this without fighting," Ralsei called out.

"I choose to interpret that as a challenge," Kris replied.

"Ralsei speaks the truth, human," the Knight said, pointing his blade at Kris. "Blood shall be spilled on this day due to your ignorance."

"Well, it sure as hell ain't going to be ours," Susie growled.

Behind his mask, the Knight smirked, "I admire your fighting spirit, lightner. Come forth, then. Die for what you believe is right."

The Knight charged toward Kris, his blade shining bright in the darkness.


	4. The Knight

Chapter 4: The Knight

"_You are a dumb idiot, and I am a god of murder."_

_-Northernlion_

* * *

Kris rolled out of the way as the Knight brought his sword down for an overhead strike. The Knight followed up with a barrage of flaming projectiles, which Kris blocked with his shield.

"You don't have to do this, you know!" Kris said. "We were just about to go find help!"

"I care not for your plans, human," the Knight said, preparing another spell. "Even if your efforts are successful, the damage you will cause to this world will become irreversible before long."

"You have a better idea, I'd love to hear it," Susie barked.

"Be silent, lightner." The Knight launched an explosive blast in Susie's direction. She evaded the attack with relative ease.

Behind Susie, Noelle began to scream in terror. She fell to her knees and began to cling to Susie's leg like a lifeline.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Susie called out.

"I don't wanna die!" Noelle was on the verge of hysterics.

"You won't if you let me go! Just stay behind me!"

Shaking herself free of Noelle's grasp, Susie charged at the Knight and swung her axe. Her attack was effortlessly parried and countered with a blast of magic that sent her stumbling backwards. The Knight then turned his focus to Kris, slashing at him with his sword. Kris blocked the attack with his own weapon, locking blades with the masked warrior.

"Aren't you in a position of power here?" Kris spoke. "There's gotta be another way you can stop Chara that doesn't involve killing me!"

"I have already considered all options," the Knight replied. "This one causes the least harm to our world, as well as yours."

Kris felt himself losing his footing. "C'mon, you have to know someone who can help!"

"Yes, I suppose I do. However, I cannot risk the world's destabilization. Cease your resistance and no one else will have to die."

"If you know someone, why don't you just take us to him?" Kris' arm began to shake. His grip on his weapon loosened.

"Because I cannot allow you to selfishly endanger this world to preserve your own life."

With a swift, heavy blow, the Knight overpowered Kris, sending his sword clattering to the ground. He struck Kris in the chest with the pommel of his sword, knocking him to the ground. Standing over him, the Knight brought his blade to Kris' neck.

"Die, foulness."

"Get away from him!" Susie charged at the Knight, delivering an overhead attack. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a magical barrier and deflected the blow.

"Surely you can do better than that," he taunted, barely even glancing at her.

"Sure I can. Ralsei?"

In an instant, Ralsei loosed a magical projectile that shattered the Knight's barrier. With a grin, Susie attacked once again, landing a decisive blow to the chest. Blood began to drip from a newly formed crack in his armor.

The Knight steadied himself. "Well struck!" he chuckled, conjuring forth another spell. A warm golden light began to envelop him, and in an instant, his wound was healed.

"So you can do that too, huh?" Susie didn't seem impressed. "Double or nothing, then!"

While Susie and the Knight engaged each other, Ralsei rushed to Kris' side and helped him off the ground.

"This guy doesn't mess around," Kris said, grabbing his weapon. "You got any ideas?"

"I don't think you're going to be able to convince him, Kris. He's been a merciless killer for his whole life. I hate to say it, but..." he hesitated for a moment, "...I think we have to fight him."

Kris seemed surprised. "I didn't expect you, of all people, to actually suggest attacking."

"I'm not happy about it. If we could get out of this without fighting, I'd prefer it, but... if we don't fight, he'll kill us."

Kris sighed. "Maybe you're right. Just let me try something first, okay? I've got a good feeling about this."

"I can guarantee that flirting won't work."

"Ugh, fine. We'll just beat the hell out of him."

The two turned to face the Knight, who was currently trading blows with Susie. She was holding her own, but every strike the Knight landed left her reeling, and her own attacks were doing little in the face of his healing magic.

Stepping backwards, Susie swung her axe at the Knight's neck. He ducked under the attack and countered with a leg sweep, knocking Susie to the ground. He then swung his sword in an overhead attack, only for his blade to meet the handle of Susie's axe.

"Son of a bitch!" she hissed, struggling to push back against his sword. "Noelle, help me!"

"B-but what if-" she stuttered, "what if he-"

"Just shoot him!"

Hesitantly, Noelle reached for her crossbow. Her hands trembling, she took aim. Her resolve faltered, and she found herself paralyzed with fear.

'_What's wrong with you?_' she asked herself. '_If you don't shoot him, he'll kill her!_'

The Knight shot Noelle a withering glare, his hand radiating magic power. "Do not interfere, lightner," he threatened.

Filled with mortal terror, Noelle dropped her crossbow with a stifled cry of fear.

Suddenly, a flaming projectile struck the Knight, throwing him off of Susie. Kris followed up with a swift slash to the face, then began to repeatedly clash swords with him.

"Are you okay?" Ralsei asked, pulling Susie up off the ground. "Here, let me heal you..." A golden light flashed from his hand, and within seconds, her wounds were gone.

Kris attempted to deliver a cleaving strike, only to have the Knight effortlessly block the attack with his hand and retaliate with a kick to the chest. Kris' sword was torn from his grip, which he only realized when the Knight smacked him across the face with its hilt before throwing it aside.

With a furious battle cry, Susie rushed toward the Knight, raining blow after blow down upon him. He assumed a defensive stance with another magical barrier. While he was distracted, Kris reclaimed his weapon and began to strike his foe from behind. Cursing under his breath, the Knight impotently swung his blade at Kris, his efforts primarily focused on defending against Susie's assault.

His barrier began to crumble when Ralsei joined the fray, bombarding the Knight with a series of fireballs. He stumbled backwards as his barrier was shattered.

"My turn," Susie growled, her eyes shining with bloodlust. She and Kris surrounded him, and attacked in unison. Despite their numbers advantage, the battle remained a struggle.

Whenever the Knight would repel an attack from Susie, Kris would strike from behind. Whenever Kris' offensive failed, Susie would attack relentlessly. The Knight, however, didn't seem fazed at all. Each blow he landed seemed to hurt more than the last, and even Kris and Susie's combined efforts couldn't seem to outpace his healing magic. Ralsei kept his distance, casting healing spells as rapidly as possible.

"Just give up, dude," Susie said, breathing heavily. "You're not winning this fight."

"Overconfidence, I see," the Knight replied. "Are you not exhausted? Do you not feel tired?" His hand began to glow with a blue light. Susie suddenly found herself struggling to stay awake.

"I'll..." she slurred, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

The glow in the Knight's hand intensified. She dropped to her knees.

"Or right now... if it's all the same to you..."

"Susie, stay awake!" Kris shouted.

"Just give me five minutes..."

"In five minutes, we'll be dead!"

The Knight strode toward Kris and Susie, sword raised. Standing over the two, he brought his sword down upon them, only to have it blocked by a defensive barrier from Ralsei.

"Susie, wake up!" Ralsei begged, attempting to strengthen the barrier.

The Knight locked eyes with Ralsei, "Did I not tell you to stand aside?"

"I'm not letting you hurt my friends!"

"Do not prolong the inevitable, Ralsei. My patience is running very thin."

Ralsei simply glared in defiance.

"So be it." The Knight rained down blow after blow upon the barrier, each hit creating a spider's web of deep cracks in its surface.

"Susie, you have to wake up!" Kris was becoming desperate. She didn't reply.

With one final strike, Ralsei's barrier was destroyed. Kris immediately stood to defend his companions, shield raised. The Knight's first attack forced Kris to his knees. Shifting his shield back into a sword, Kris thrusted his weapon toward his adversary. The Knight parried the attack before slashing Kris across the face. He followed up with a swift kick, sending Kris flying. He landed beside a cowering Noelle.

"Kris, are you okay...?" she whispered.

"Not particularly," he wheezed. He attempted to stand, but was pinned to the ground beneath the Knight's boot.

"A valiant effort," the Knight commended, his sword hovering over Kris' heart. "It has been so very long since I encountered an equal in battle."

"Well, what an honor it is to die by your hand."

"I will take great pleasure in silencing you, human."

The Knight was suddenly struck by a cascade of magic projectiles. He glared furiously at Ralsei before returning fire with a magical barrage of his own. Noelle, cowering just beneath the crossfire, screamed in panic.

Susie, roused from her magically induced slumber, shouted, "Hey, can you shut up? I'm trying to sleep."

Then she noticed what was happening around her. Kris lying on the ground, gasping for breath. The Knight engaged in a magical firefight with Ralsei. Noelle screaming.

"Wait, why the hell am I trying to sleep?"

Rushing toward the Knight, she cleaved downward with her axe, embedding its blade in the Knight's shoulder. He cried out in pain, glancing back at his attacker.

"Hey," Susie winked and pulled her weapon free, its blade dripping with blood. Ralsei cast a healing spell on Kris, who then proceeded to deliver a swift uppercut that left the Knight reeling. Susie followed up with a blow to the face that knocked the Knight off his feet.

"Nice of you to join us," Kris said. Susie simply glared at him.

The Knight stood, leaning on his sword for support. He hissed, "Perhaps I underestimated you." He clutched at his shoulder, blood flowing freely from the wound. "It is rare for an adversary to hold their own against me, much less overpower me."

"Funny, I seem to remember _you_ calling _us_ overconfident," Susie grinned.

"The irony is not lost on me, lightner." The Knight stepped backwards, slowly. "I will be seeing you again, soon. I will not fail next time."

"How about we make sure there is no next time?"

"Let him go," Ralsei said.

"Are you out of your mind? This guy almost killed us!"

"I'm with Ralsei," Kris interjected. "If we don't have to kill him, we won't."

Susie seemed hesitant, but holstered her weapon. "Fine, but I'm blaming you if we get our asses kicked again."

"Always the merciful one," the Knight said, locking eyes with Ralsei. "This will prove to be your undoing."

"Yeah, yeah, get out of here before I change my mind," Susie threatened.

Wordlessly, the Knight ran off, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Are you guys alright?" Noelle asked timidly.

"Yeah, we're fine," Susie replied. "How about you?"

Noelle nodded, "I'm so sorry... I should've done something to help you..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Kris reassured her. "I don't think any of us were prepared for something like this."

"No one died, anyway," Susie added, "so it's not a big deal as far as I'm concerned."

"If you say so..." Noelle still felt guilty. "I'll try to help next time. I promise."

"That's really all you can do," Kris said.

"So, Ralsei," Susie started, "since when were you the one advocating violence?"

Ralsei hung his head, "I didn't want to fight him, but I know we wouldn't survive if we didn't. You remember what happened with the King, right?"

"Well, yeah, but wasn't that the exception to the rule?"

"Maybe. But I know the Knight. I don't think 'mercy' is part of his vocabulary."

"How do you know the Knight anyway?" Kris asked.

Ralsei went silent. "I'm... familiar with his reputation. Everyone is."

"Yeah, but he talked like he knew you personally."

"I... can't talk about this, Kris. I just can't. I'm sorry."

Kris seemed confused, but nodded understandingly. "Alright. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

"Thank you. Let's... go talk to Lancer. I think he'll know someone who can help us."

Silence fell over the group as they walked on.


	5. King of the Dark

Chapter 5: King of the Dark

"_How could [the king] see anything with that helmet on?"_

_-The protagonist (Dead Cells)_

* * *

As the Fun Gang traveled to Card Castle, Kris found himself wondering about the Knight. Just who exactly was he? What had he done to become so infamous across the dark world? Who, if anyone, was giving him orders to hunt Kris down?

Most of all, Kris wondered about the Knight's connection to Ralsei. They obviously knew each other on a personal level, but Ralsei seemed particularly hostile toward the Knight. But why? What happened between the two that incited such hatred? And why didn't Ralsei want to talk about it?

Kris sighed. '_What have I gotten us into?_' he asked himself, dreading what could happen in the future.

The Fun Gang arrived at the castle without incident, to their relief. They received a warm greeting from the guards, and were immediately granted entrance.

Rouxls Kaard appeared before them in a flash of light as soon as they entered. "Ah, the Three Heroes returneth... with a fourth!" he called out. "Greetings, pitiful worms!"

"Nice to see you again, puzzle master," Kris returned the greeting. "How have things been since we left?"

"Life doth continue as normal, though Lancer art a much more benevolent monarch than the previous."

"Glad to hear it. Has he been keeping things in order here?"

"To a surprising degree! Civil unrest hath disappeared completely!"

"That's great. Listen, we really need to see Lancer. It's pretty important."

"I see. May I asketh why?"

"Long story," Susie said. "Just take us to him."

"Very well." Rouxls gestured for them to follow him.

While he led them through the castle, Noelle spoke up, "So you're Rouxls Kaard, right?"

"Verily," he replied with a wink. "I am the Duke of Puzzles in this world."

"I've heard some... interesting things about your work." Noelle tried to stifle a laugh, remembering what Kris and Susie told her about his puzzles.

"Yes, my reputation doth precede me," he suddenly broke eye contact. "Even my worste couldst reduce the mightiest intellect to a weeping mess!"

"He's passionate, I'll give him that," Kris whispered. Noelle nodded in agreement.

A moment later, Rouxls ushered everyone into the throne room, bowing respectfully. "You have visitors, your majesty."

"Hey, Lancer!" Susie said with a grin.

"Ho ho, look who it is!" Lancer smiled. "Nice to see you clowns again!"

"It's nice to meet you... your majesty," Noelle said with a quick bow.

"Nice to meet you too, deer person!"

"O-oh, sorry... My name is Noelle."

"She's a friend of ours," Kris clarified.

"Oh, okay! So what brings you all back here?"

"Well, we've got a couple, er... problems. We were hoping you'd be able to help us somehow."

"Whatever it is, there's a pretty good chance that I might be able to possibly help!" Lancer gave a confident grin.

"Hold on to that thought. You're gonna need some backstory to know what's going on."

Once again, Kris told the story of him and Chara. He couldn't help but notice Rouxls Kaard producing a notepad from nowhere and starting to scribble down notes as soon as he mentioned his possession. Lancer, meanwhile, listened in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

"...So then we came here to see if you knew anyone who can help," Kris concluded.

"And that's not even everything," Susie said. "There's also some guy called the Knight trying to kill Kris."

Kris nodded, "Right. As soon as we met up with Ralsei again, the Knight showed up and tried to kill me. Any chance you can help with that, too?"

"Yeah, probably," Lancer replied. "I'm the king! He has to listen to me, right?"

"I'd assume..."

Ralsei spoke up, "What about Chara? Do you know anyone that can get rid of her?"

Lancer went silent for several seconds. In the corner, Rouxls rapidly flipped through his notes, muttering to himself.

Finally, Lancer spoke, "I have no idea."

The hope in Ralsei's eyes faded a bit, "Really? There's no one that can help?"

Lancer shrugged. "Not that I know about. Sorry."

Kris sighed. "Well, thanks anyway." He turned to his companions, "I'm out of ideas. Anyone got any suggestions?"

"If I may," Rouxls interjected, "I haveth a suggestion."

"As long as it doesn't involve a chopping block, I'll take it."

"I believeth you couldst visit the royal scientist. He is quite knowledgeable on this subject."

Ralsei seemed to go pale. Or maybe the lighting just changed. No one seemed to notice.

"Why would a scientist be studying demonic possessions?" Kris asked.

"He kept his reasons to himself. Whatever they may be, he hath dedicated his life to the study."

"A-are you sure there isn't... anybody else...?" Ralsei stammered.

"You will find no one of greater assistance than him, I assureth thee."

"Sounds to me like that's our best option, then," Susie commented.

"Hey, Ralsei, are you okay?" Kris asked. "Seems like something's bothering you."

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine, really." Ralsei hoped the shadow over his face was dark enough to hide his unease. "Let's go visit the royal scientist."

Kris didn't seem convinced, but nodded anyway. "So where is the royal scientist anyway?"

"He liveth far to the east," Rouxls answered, "at the very edge of the world."

"Of course he does. It's always the edge of the world, isn't it?"

"Let me guess, there's no quick way to get there?" Susie spoke.

"I am afraid not," Rouxls said. "Thou must traveleth on foot."

"How did I even guess..." Susie turned to Kris, "What do you think, fearless leader?"

Kris shrugged. "I mean, we kinda have to, right? Either that or let me lose my mind."

"Well then, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Ralsei was conflicted. He knew Kris needed help, and this was their only shot. But how could he face _him_, after everything that had happened between them? Ralsei didn't even want to think about what could happen.

He sighed to himself. '_I can't keep running away from him. The Knight knows where I live now. I'll have to face this sooner or later, so I might as well do it on my own terms.'_

He glanced over at his companions.

'_I owe it to them, anyway._'

"Yeah, let's go," he said aloud.

"Alright then," Kris said. "We'll go see the royal scientist. Lancer, we'd appreciate it if you could keep the Knight from hunting us."

"I can handle that!" Lancer declared.

"Wait. Before you leave," Rouxls handed Kris a folded map of the dark world. "Taketh this. Thou will probably needeth it."

"Thanks," Kris said, taking the map. "I guess we'll be leaving, then."

"A word of warning, before you go. Avoid the Seventh Region, if possible. The area art quarantined."

"Why? What happened there?"

"A mysterious plague hath claimed the area. Its inhabitants were driven mad, and no one knoweth what happened."

"You just have a giant stretch of land where people go insane?"

"Not by choice, of course."

"Okay, then... We'll keep that in mind." He gestured for his companions to follow him, "Let's head out."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Slowly, the Knight approached _him_. He lowered his hood and removed his mask, setting it down on the floor, before kneeling in reverence.

"I have returned," he spoke, bowing his head.

W.D. Gaster turned, slowly, to face the Knight. He sighed, "How many times do I have to tell you not to kneel?"

The Knight stood. "My apologies, sir."

"So, were you successful?"

The Knight hung his head in shame. "I am afraid not. They bested me, sir. I failed."

"Hm. I didn't even know that was possible."

"As we speak, they are meeting with the king. I am certain he will direct them to you, sir. And I am certain he will not be pleased to know I am targeting them."

"Yes, he is a friend of the lightners', isn't he..." Gaster reached for a folder lying on his desk and began to skim through it. "Were you at least able to confirm Chara's presence?"

"Yes, sir. She is using the human as a vessel, as you expected."

Gaster nodded silently, consumed in his thoughts. The king certainly wouldn't approve of their actions, but theirs was a just cause. If Chara wasn't stopped, the whole dark world could be destroyed.

"How shall we proceed?" The Knight asked.

"Minor change of plans. Bring the... 'Fun Gang'... to me, alive. I can ensure Chara's permanent demise if they're brought here, anyway."

"And what about Ralsei?"

"Same orders. Don't harm him at all, if possible. I need to have a few words with him."

"Forgive me, sir, but I must question your fixation on Ralsei. Why is he so important to you?"

"...Personal reasons."

The Knight nodded respectfully. "One more question, sir. The king will be... displeased with our actions, I am certain."

"Ignore his orders. Bring the Fun Gang to me."

"But sir..."

"The consequences of disobeying the king will be nothing compared to what will happen if we let Chara remain. We'll deal with those consequences later. We're preventing armageddon, Sariel."

"Very well," Sariel donned his mask and hood as he spoke. "I will not fail you again."

"I have full confidence in you."

Sariel gave a quick bow before turning to leave.

* * *

Standing outside of Card Castle, Kris glanced at his map. "Looks like we've got a long walk ahead of us," he said.

"Well, let's go, then!" Susie said.

And so they marched. After a few seconds, however, Susie stopped.

"Listen, Noelle," she said. "If you wanna tap out, now's probably your last chance."

"I'm coming with you," Noelle replied.

"Are you sure?" Kris asked. "You know the Knight's going to be after us the whole time, not to mention what else might be out there."

"I want to help you, Kris. I'd feel terrible if anything happened to any of you and I wasn't there to help. Please, let me come with you."

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes."

Kris considered this for a moment. While he was grateful that she wanted to help, he was worried about her. Would she really be able to stand against the Knight in the future? If not, she could be killed. And after witnessing her capitulation against the Knight, that seemed like a very real possibility.

However, she definitely seemed willing to come along despite the dangers. Her eyes seemed to glint with determination. Besides, if she did have the courage needed to make the journey, she could be very helpful.

He had to give her a chance, right?

"Alright," he said at last. "What could go wrong?"

Noelle smiled, "Thanks, Kris. I won't let you down."

Kris smiled as well, extending a hand toward her. "Welcome to the Fun Gang, Noelle."

She returned the handshake, inexplicably accompanied by heroic fanfare from nowhere.

"Does that happen often?" she asked.

"Every time someone joins the party."

"You get used to things like that eventually," Susie added.

"Well, I think it's time we set off. Everyone ready?" Kris asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Alright." He pointed eastward. "March, friends!"

And so they marched.


	6. The Journey

Chapter 6: The Journey

"'_We are the flame!' they cry, 'And darkness fears us!' They descend, spurred on by fantasies of riches and redemption, to lay bare whatever blasphemous abnormality may slumber restlessly in that unholy abyss... But darkness is insidious."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

"So, Ralsei," Kris said, "do you know anything about the royal scientist?"

Ralsei tensed up a bit as he spoke, "Um... not really. All I know is that he's really reclusive, and he did some work for the old King. No one really knows much about him."

"What kind of work?"

"...I'm not sure, but I think it included his research on possessions."

"Hm. Well, I just hope he actually helps us and doesn't just direct us to the Knight's sword."

'_He just might,_' Ralsei thought grimly.

Silence fell over the group as they walked on. Card Castle had long since disappeared over the horizon, and all that lay ahead was a featureless landscape of scarlet grass. The atmosphere was calm, but the group felt uneasy. They couldn't help but feel that they were being watched, by one threat or another.

Kris glanced at his map, studying the geography of the dark world and mentally plotting the quickest path to the royal scientist. It seemed to lead through a vast desert to the east, though it also led directly through the ominous Seventh Region. In fact, there didn't even seem to be an easy way around the quarantine zone, considering the scientist's laboratory was along the edge of what had been mapped.

"Ralsei, can you tell me anything about this Seventh Region place?" Kris asked.

"Not much," Ralsei replied. "It was quarantined before I was born, and it's been like that ever since. I don't think anyone knows what caused the plague in the first place."

"What kinda name is the Seventh Region, anyway?" Susie joined the conversation.

"I think it was the seventh part of the dark world to be colonized, and it never really got a name."

"I guess Seventh Region sounds a little more inviting than Madness Fields," Kris added.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud _crack_, accompanied by a flash of red light. The ground in front of them began to break apart, sending waves of deep cracks to the north and south as far as the eye could see. The rapidly spreading breakage grew deeper and deeper, tearing the landscape asunder.

"What the hell? Get back!" Kris called out, frantically stepping backwards. The ground continued to crumble away, collapsing into an endless abyss below. Everyone watched in shock as the newly forming fissure grew ever wider and deeper. After a few tense moments, the collapse halted, leaving a massive rift in the landscape.

"What the actual hell just happened?" Susie said incredulously.

Kris glanced over at Ralsei, "I'm assuming this isn't a normal occurrence?"

"No, it isn't," Ralsei replied, shaking off a feeling of surprise. "I don't think anything like this has ever happened here before..."

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Susie asked.

Cursing to himself, Kris glanced at his map. "We might be able to get around this fissure if we head north," he announced, pointing at the snowy region on the map.

"That'll take us through Snowfall," Ralsei commented.

"Ugh, snow?" Susie seemed displeased. "Do we really have to go that way?"

"It's either that or the mountains down south," Kris said. "Take your pick."

Susie let out an annoyed sigh. "Alright. North it is, then."

"Then let's go."

The four proceeded north, walking parallel to the newly formed fissure. Their feeling of unease only grew stronger. None of them believed this sudden collapse occurred naturally. Something was _wrong_.

The sound of ominous laughter echoed in the back of Kris' mind. "Something funny, _partner_?"

"_Just admiring my handiwork, _partner_,"_ Chara replied, her voice filled with a sick pride.

"You did that?"

"_Oh, yes. I could've done more, but you won't cooperate with me."_

"How the hell did you manage that?"

"_A little determination and a lot of LOVE. And there's plenty more where that came from."_

"Yeah, I'll bet."

The four walked on in silence.

From a distance, Sariel watched. His stony gaze went to the fresh fissure, then to the Fun Gang. His eyes narrowed with anger.

"Do you see now?" he whispered to himself. "Do you see the danger you present to us all?"

Concealing himself among the foliage, he followed them. They would not best him again.

* * *

The temperature began to drop as the Fun Gang traveled north. They had been walking for several hours, and night was beginning to fall. The area was covered in a thick layer of snow, accompanied by a light, continuous snowfall. Susie was visibly angry.

"What's wrong, Susie?" Kris asked.

"I hate this place," she replied. "I hate the cold and I hate the snow."

"How can you hate snow?" Noelle asked, a wide smile on her face. "It's wonderful!"

"Maybe for you," Susie retorted. "I'm a scaly lizard person. I don't handle cold very well."

"But the snow is so beautiful!" Noelle immediately threw herself into the largest pile of snow she could find, laughing as it nearly completely enveloped her.

Susie chuckled, her expression softening a bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Noelle dug herself out of the snow and excitedly ran up to Kris. "Kris, we need to come back here sometime!"

Kris smiled, "Absolutely. It'll be nice to visit this place without the threat of an apocalypse."

"There's a lot to see in the dark world," Ralsei said. "I'd be happy to show you guys around."

"Count me in!" Noelle said.

The four walked on through the snow for several minutes. Night had long since fallen, and Kris soon found himself struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Is anyone else starting to get tired?" he asked.

"Now that you mention it, I could do with some rest," Susie replied.

"It is starting to get late," Ralsei added. "We should find somewhere to make camp."

"I don't suppose anyone has any firewood?" Kris said.

Susie gestured to the forest around them, axe in hand. "No, but we've got no shortage of trees to pick from."

She immediately swung her axe into a nearby tree, slicing through it with little effort. She grinned with pride as it fell to the ground.

"There. Firewood."

"That'll work," Kris stated.

Susie continued to hack away at the tree, gathering its pieces into a large pile. Ralsei then set it alight with a flick of his wrist.

"There we go," Susie stored her weapon away. "Now we've got a campfire."

The four gathered around the flickering light of the fire, basking in its warmth. A comfortable silence fell over them as they began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Time had passed. The four were in a deep sleep, gathered around a fading fire. Silently, Sariel crept through the foliage toward them. His hateful gaze never faltered.

"Huddled together, furtive and vulnerable," he whispered to himself. "Like rats in a maze."

The snow crunched lightly beneath his boots with every step he took. Slowly, he reached for his sword, while preparing a spell in his left hand. He began to walk faster.

Suddenly, Noelle began to stir. Sariel froze in place, shifting his glare to her. He stared at her in silence for a tense moment. No sound was heard aside from the crackling of the fire. He watched until she settled, then continued his advance, moving more slowly.

'_Carelessness will find no clemency in this place,_' Sariel reminded himself. Slowly, cautiously, he stepped forward, his gaze now fixated on Kris. He stopped just a few feet away from the group, looming ominously over them.

He chuckled softly to himself. "Pitiful," he whispered. "Almost too easy."

Noelle shifted again, roused from her slumber. Unseen by Sariel, she shifted into a sitting position, her eyes fluttering open.

"Is someone there...?" she asked softly. Sariel turned to her in surprise. She looked back at him, and was overcome by a wave of mortal terror.

"Be silent, lightner," he commanded. "Do not force my hand."

Ignoring him, she screamed, "Guys, wake up! The Knight found us!"

Ralsei awoke immediately, followed by Kris and Susie. As they stood, Kris and Susie drew their weapons, and Ralsei began preparing a spell.

Sariel narrowed his eyes at Noelle, "You shall perish first."

"How the hell did you find us so fast?" Kris demanded.

"You are not difficult to follow. Lightners are remarkable easy to locate."

"So you came to get your ass kicked again, huh?" Susie bared her teeth threateningly.

Sariel scoffed, "No, I came to bring you into custody."

"Didn't the king tell you to leave us alone?" Kris questioned, taking on a defensive stance.

"My objectives supersede the king's commands. I act in defense of the kingdom, despite the king's objections."

"So you've just given yourself a free pass to end me?"

"Exactly."

"Well, there's no way in hell that's happening!" Susie's eyes flashed with fury.

"We're not letting you hurt Kris!" Ralsei shouted.

Sariel laughed dismissively. "Still, you continue to resist? Very well. Let us do battle once again!"

Her hands trembling, Noelle readied her crossbow and took up a position beside Susie.


	7. Ambushed

Chapter 7: Ambushed

"_I'm watching over you now_

"_The reaper's never far_

"_You did escape me somehow_

"_You can't escape who you are"_

_-'Here at the End of the World' by Orden Ogan_

* * *

Without hesitation, Susie charged after Sariel, swinging her axe. He swiftly parried her attack with his sword, then projected a magical barrier to defend against a surprise attack from Kris. Repelling Susie with a quick kick, he retaliated against Kris with a backhanded strike, leaving him reeling.

Sariel stumbled as a crossbow bolt struck him in the back. He turned to face Noelle, surprised. He grinned behind his mask.

"And I thought you a coward," he said, seemingly impressed. "When did you become so courageous?"

She said nothing, but shakily reached for another bolt. Clumsily, she loaded it and prepared to take another shot, her bravery quickly leaving her. She hesitated, her hands trembling.

"The will to fight falters, does it not?" Sariel taunted, pulling the bolt from his back and throwing it to the ground. His hand began to surge with magical energy.

A barrage of fire struck him, and he turned to face his attacker. He narrowed his eyes at Ralsei, before being hit in the face by a left hook from Susie. He leered at her before unleashing a burst of magical energy that forced her back.

"You cannot evade me forever, Ralsei," he declared, pointing his sword at Ralsei. "Do not make this more difficult than it must be."

Ralsei glared at him, then wordlessly fired off another barrage of magic. Sariel deflected the projectiles with a barrier, advancing slowly.

"I do not wish to harm you, Ralsei. Do not make me strike you."

"Do you actually expect me to come with you?" Ralsei hissed. "You think I'll just let you murder my friend?"

"Again, you succumb to sentimentality. I understand the human himself is not the threat..."

"Then why are you trying to kill him?!"

"...but, he is a conduit for the demon's corruption. You have seen the danger she presents. We cannot afford to waste any more time."

"If you'd just leave us alone, we could find a better way," Kris interjected.

Sariel shot Kris a withering glare, "Stay out of this, human." He returned his focus to Ralsei, "By protecting him, you are protecting the demon. With every passing minute, the end of all things draws ever closer. We must act immediately."

Sariel projected an orb of energy in his hand. It began to crackle with electricity.

"Do not resist any longer. Come unto your maker, or I shall execute your companions where they stand."

Ralsei launched a bolt of energy at Sariel. "I'm not going with you," he stated, glaring defiantly.

"So be it."

Before Sariel could do anything, Susie charged into him, pinning him against a tree. She bared her teeth, smiling madly.

"Try anything, and I'll eat your goddamn face."

Sariel said nothing, instead opting to unleash the electric orb in his hand. Susie let out a pained scream as lightning surged through her body. Sariel chuckled to himself as he pushed her aside.

Another crossbow bolt struck him in the side. He cursed under his breath as he removed it, turning to Noelle.

"G-get away from her," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Or what?" he countered, stepping closer.

"Or I'll... I-I'll..."

"Pitiful," he sneered. "At least the hellion could muster up a threat."

Kris suddenly attacked Sariel from behind with a quick slash. Susie, having recovered, engaged as well.

"You really need to learn not to turn your back on the enemy, dumbass," she said.

"Perhaps," he replied calmly. "Though I must admit, your laughably impotent offensive encourages several bad habits."

"You're pretty confident considering what happened last time," Kris retorted, striking at Sariel between each word.

Sariel parried each of Kris' blows, while deflecting Susie's with a barrier. "My first failure in countless years. Hardly cause for alarm."

Kris and Susie continued to skirmish with Sariel, receiving support from Ralsei's healing magic. Over the course of several minutes, Sariel began to move ever so slightly slower, though his own healing spells kept him fighting. He began to attack more ruthlessly.

Forcing Susie back with a blast of energy, Sariel parried an attack from Kris and, in one swift motion, slammed him face first into a nearby tree. He fell to the ground, motionless.

"Kris!" Ralsei called out, rushing over to him.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that!" Susie shouted, only to be sent to the ground by a punch to the face. Blocking Sariel's follow up attack, she retaliated with a kick to the chest, before scrambling to her feet and charging after him.

Ralsei helped Kris up off the ground, his hand emitting a warm golden light. "Are you alright, Kris?" he asked.

Kris struggled to focus through his hazy vision. "I... I think so," he muttered, wiping blood from his face. "Goddamn, that hurts."

"You'll be okay." The golden light enveloped Kris, and his pain began to fade.

Sariel continued to trade blows with Susie. Over time, their movements became slow and sluggish, though Sariel's healing magic allowed him to maintain an advantageous position. He was caught by surprise, however, when Kris charged into the fray, accompanied by a series of magical projectiles from Ralsei.

Sariel quickly projected a barrier, only to have his defenses crumble as he was beset on all sides by blades and projectiles. Kris and Susie rained down blow after blow upon him, while Ralsei bombarded him with a cascade of fireballs. Noelle, meanwhile, hesitated to fire out of fear of hitting one of her friends.

Sariel attempted an overhead attack, only to have it blocked by Kris, then countered by an uppercut from Susie. The two continued to attack relentlessly, keeping him surrounded. He retaliated with a spinning sword slash, then fired off a bolt of electricity in Kris' direction. Stepping back, he assaulted Susie with a barrage of fireballs.

Seeing an opportunity, Noelle steeled herself and fired a shot in Sariel's direction, only to have it miss completely. He turned to face her, and sneered derisively. He fired a magical projectile at her, hitting her square in the chest. Crying out in pain and fear, she dropped to her knees and began to shield herself from further harm.

"Pay attention, dumbass!" Susie shouted as she buried her axe in Sariel's back. Hissing in agony, he spun around and countered with a pommel strike to the face. While she was left reeling, he began to cast a healing spell.

He was caught off guard when Kris charged toward him, delivering a thrusting attack. Kris stabbed his sword into Sariel's abdomen, then followed up with a left hook that sent him stumbling back.

"How quickly the tide turns," he said, clutching at his wound. "You are truly remarkable. It is rare for me to be bested in battle, much less forced to flee more than once."

"You don't have to fight us," Ralsei said. "Just leave us alone and no one has to die."

"Perhaps." Sariel began to step backwards. "Or, perhaps the demon will succeed in her efforts due to your inaction. Tell me, Ralsei, is that a risk you are willing to take?"

Ralsei's expression hardened, but he said nothing.

"No reply. What did I expect?" He pointed his sword at Ralsei. "I cannot allow you to doom us all. I will return for you. One way or another, you will come unto your maker." He continued his retreat, vanishing beyond the treeline.

When she was certain he was gone, Susie turned to Noelle. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping her off of the ground.

"I... I think so," Noelle replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Here, let me heal you..." Ralsei said, casting healing spells on his companions.

"Ralsei," Kris turned to him, "what did the Knight mean when he said 'come unto your maker'?"

Ralsei said nothing. He shifted his gaze to the ground, finding himself unable to make eye contact.

"Ralsei? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm... fine," he lied. "It's just... It's a personal issue, Kris."

"What aren't you telling us?" Susie entered the conversation.

Ralsei hung his head, pulling his scarf over his face. "It's my own problem, not yours."

"Ralsei, whatever it is, we're willing to help you," Kris said, placing a hand on Ralsei's shoulder.

"Yeah. Just talk to us, man," Susie added.

"I... I just can't, okay?" Ralsei replied, still refusing to make eye contact. "I'm sorry, but I just can't talk about this. Maybe someday, but... not now."

Kris nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you. I just want you to know that we're here for you, okay?"

"It's okay. And, thanks for being supportive. It means a lot to me."

Everyone fell silent for a brief moment.

"So, Noelle," Susie suddenly changed the subject, "you actually helped out this time. Nice work."

"I promised I'd do better," Noelle replied rather timidly. "I'm sorry I didn't do more..."

"Hey, it's still an improvement. Can't fault you for that."

"Everyone's gotta start somewhere," Kris added. "Just give it time and you'll build up your confidence. We're right there with you, okay?"

"Okay," Noelle replied. She seemed to feel a little better about herself.

Susie put a hand on Noelle's shoulder, looking directly into her eyes. "You'll become a fearless warrior soon enough. I'll teach you myself!"

"Just don't teach her to murder everything in her way, please," Kris said.

"Hey, I changed my ways, remember?"

"I know, but you still seem pretty... eager... when we're fighting the Knight."

"Well, that guy's bloodthirsty. I gotta make a statement against him!"

Kris ignored her, turning his focus to Noelle. "_We'll_ teach you together."

Ralsei watched as the three conversed. His thoughts were conflicted. He wanted to tell them the truth about him. They were his friends, they deserved to know. But what would they think of him? Maybe it wouldn't change anything. Maybe they'd be mad at him for hiding the truth. Maybe they'd be repulsed by his very presence.

'_They said they'd support me, though..._' he told himself. '_They obviously care about me. But..._

'_What if they never see me the same way again?_'

He sighed. While he appreciated his friends, he couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. He just wasn't ready. He felt a pang of regret in his heart. Why did this have to be so difficult?

Why did it have to be so painful for him to face his past?


	8. Carrying On

Chapter 8: Carrying On

"_Alright, mavericks. Ready to see what you're fighting today?"_

_-The Drifter (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_

* * *

The sun had risen several hours ago, and the Fun Gang had walked on since then. Currently, they were engaged in a battle with the wildlife of the snowy forest. It was the fourth time they had been attacked today, but they were still grateful to be fighting something other than the Knight.

"Alright, Noelle, just like last time," Kris said, taking up a position beside her. "Help me pacify these things."

Noelle glanced at her opponents: a pair of creatures Ralsei called Frostbite Spiders. Their bodies and heads were composed of ice cubes, and they skittered back and forth on spindly legs of frost.

"What do you think I should do...?" she asked.

"Let me try something," Kris replied, casually stepping up to one of the spiders. As he approached, it hissed at him, spraying small snowflakes from an orifice that could be considered a mouth. Ignoring it, he simply gave the creature an affectionate pat on the head. It looked up at him, clicking its mandibles together.

"You're not so bad, are you?" he said, grinning at the creature. It produced a pleased clicking noise in response, happily hopping in place. It then proceeded to skitter away, burrowing into the snowy ground and disappearing from sight.

"That seems effective," Kris commented. "You try it, Noelle."

She nodded, stepping toward the other spider. Hesitantly, she reached toward it.

"Hey, little guy..." she said. It hissed at her, then began to snap at her with its icy mandibles. She jumped back a bit in fright. It continued to snap at her for a few seconds, before she reached out and began to pet the creature.

"J-just calm down, okay?" she whispered to it. "We don't need to fight."

The spider tilted its head in confusion, then affectionately wrapped its many limbs around her leg, clicking happily.

"I think it likes you," Kris said.

"It's kinda cute!"

It gave her a final click before digging into the ground.

"Well, that was easy," Susie said as she stored her weapon away.

"They're pretty simple creatures," Ralsei explained. "As soon as they realize you're not a threat, they'll leave you alone."

With the battle won, they continued to walk on through the snow.

Kris suddenly found himself feeling uneasy. A sense of dread lingered in his mind. His eyes drifted to the fissure beside them, and the feeling only intensified. If Chara could cause something like this, what else could she do?

"_I can tell what you're thinking, partner,"_ she said suddenly. _"And the answer is, no, that's not the end of it. I'm just getting started."_

"Why do I get the feeling you've done this before?" he whispered.

"_Oh, I have. On a much grander scale, too."_

"You're a little too eager to brag about something like that, _partner_."

"_You could be a part of it, too, if you'd just cooperate with me."_

"Nah, I'm good."

She let out a frustrated sigh, but said no more. Shaking his head, Kris continued to stare into the fissure. His sense of dread remained. He had no doubt in his mind that Chara would continue to cause damage to the world as long as she remained. He began to wonder just how far she was willing to go. If she was so dead-set on genocide in the light world, who's to say she'd spare anyone in the dark world?

Could they even stop her before things went that far?

'_What if the Knight is right...?_' he asked himself. '_What if I'm just making things worse for everyone?_'

'_No, that's ridiculous._'

'_Right...?_'

"You're starting to get pretty good at this, Noelle," Susie's voice shook him from his thoughts. He considered it a relief.

Noelle shrugged, "It's... not as intimidating when we're not fighting the Knight."

"Well, he's definitely gonna be showing up again. By that time, you're gonna be laughing in his face while you fill him with arrows. I'm gonna make sure of that."

"I wouldn't put that much faith in myself..."

"I would. It might take a while, but you'll get there. I believe in you."

Noelle smiled, her cheeks beginning to turn pink. "Thanks. I, er... I appreciate the sentiment."

The conversation ended there, and they carried on in silence. They walked until a flash of red light caught their attention, gliding along the side of a nearby rock formation. When the light faded, a deep gash was left in its place.

"Well, that happened," Susie deadpanned.

"That's not a natural occurrence, I'm guessing," Kris said.

"Definitely not," Ralsei answered. "It looks like the same thing that caused the fissure..."

Anger flashed across Kris' face. "You got anything to say, _partner_?"

"_Nope. Must've been a coincidence." _She spoke with an obviously exaggerated tone of feigned innocence.

"You have no idea how much I want to punch you right now."

Chara responded with a ghostly chuckle, but said no more.

"Okay, so the world is falling apart around us," Susie observed. "Isn't that just wonderful."

"What are we going to do...?" Noelle asked to no one in particular.

Kris shrugged, "Keep going, I guess? That's basically all we can do. That, and hope things don't get any worse."

"I can guarantee things will get worse," Susie retorted.

"Unfortunately, you're probably right, so we should probably pick up the pace."

"No argument here. Lead the way, brother."

Kris gave a nod and continued to lead his allies through the forest. He glanced over at the fresh scar in the landscape, and soon found himself lost in his own thoughts again. Several questions raced through his mind.

Would they be able to reach the royal scientist before something horrible happened? Chara was already tearing the world apart to stop them, and with the Knight hunting them down, traveling would be difficult at best.

What would be the consequences if they were unsuccessful? If the Knight didn't kill them, Chara would most likely carry out her plans of genocide. Neither possibility particularly appealed to Kris.

Would the royal scientist even be able to help at all? Rouxls Kaard seemed confident, and there weren't exactly many other options, so Kris decided not to give this one too much thought.

How long did Kris have before Chara fully took control? She was a constant threat, always looming over him as a terrifying specter of death. All his years of resisting her had only strengthened her resolve. She was nothing if not determined.

Above all else, Kris found himself wondering if he and his companions were doing the right thing. He brought Chara to the dark world, and because of that, they were all in danger. She obviously wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that stood in her way. She had no reservations toward tearing the world itself apart.

'_I cannot allow you to selfishly endanger this world to preserve your own life,_' the Knight's words echoed in his mind. Maybe he had a point.

Feelings of doubt mixed with feelings of guilt. Was this quest really worth the risk it posed? Kris felt that he would never be able to forgive himself if someone got hurt or killed because of Chara. Because he brought her here.

Because of him.

It all tied back to him. For one reason or another, Chara chose him as her host. He carried her into the dark world, hoping to find a way to rid himself of her. They were being hunted by one of the strongest warriors in the dark world because he was her host. The world itself was at risk because of her presence.

Because of him.

Kris hung his head. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Knight might have been right all along, that he was causing more harm than good. Perhaps, by trying so hard to protect himself - and by extension, Chara - he was no better than she was.

'_No, I'm doing this so no one gets hurt,_' he told himself. '_Things will get worse if I give up now. I'm doing the right thing. I'm not the villain. I'm doing the right thing._'

He repeated the words in his head like a mantra.

He so desperately wished he believed it.


	9. Second Thoughts

**Trigger warning: attempted suicide. You have been warned.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Second Thoughts

"_Spare the others. I am ready."_

_-The leper (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Ralsei stood silent in the night, a few feet away from his sleeping companions. They had chosen to sleep in shifts to prevent another ambush, and it was currently his turn on watch. He leaned against a tree, sighing in boredom. While he appreciated the lack of imminent danger, he found this task to be a very uninteresting one.

He looked around, taking in the sights around him. While the snowy forest did indeed look beautiful, it had lost its luster after the first hour. He sat down on the ground, removing his scarf. For a moment, he simply enjoyed the feeling of the cool breeze on his face. It didn't alleviate his boredom, but it was at least pleasant.

He jumped slightly as he heard the sound of crunching snow behind him. He turned around, conjuring a magical orb in his hands. There was nothing behind him. He glanced at his companions. Susie was sprawled out on the ground in a deep sleep, with Noelle curled into a ball just beside her.

Ralsei watched for a moment, keeping his spell at the ready. He saw no assailants, heard no sound aside from his own breathing. He began to relax, allowing the orb in his hand to dissipate.

Then he noticed that Kris was missing.

He looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. He noticed a trail of fresh footprints in the snow, leading off into a secluded part of the forest.

'_What are you doing, Kris...?_' Ralsei pondered, following the trail.

He walked slowly, quietly navigating through the trees. The trail led through a thick patch of trees before emerging into a small clearing. At the center of the clearing, Kris sat on a tree stump, his back turned to Ralsei. He was holding his head in his hands.

Ralsei prepared to step toward him, but stopped when he suddenly broke the silence.

"Why the hell won't you just leave me alone?" he asked. Ralsei stayed silent and watched.

"_Now, you know I can't do that, partner,"_ Chara replied in that condescending tone of hers, her voice unheard by Ralsei. _"We're going to be together for a very long time."_

"Why, though? Seriously, why? I didn't ask for this." Anger crept into his voice. Ralsei quickly deduced who he was talking to.

"_Circumstances forced me to pair up with you, Kris. Believe me, if I didn't need you, you'd already be dead."_

"'Circumstances', huh? Enlighten me."

"_Didn't I already explain everything to you?"_

"Actually, no. You just showed up one day and violently ripped my soul from my body without even saying hello. Terrible first impression, by the way."

"_Yes, I guess you're right. If you haven't pieced it together already, I'm not a demon in the traditional sense of the word. In fact, I was a human once."_

"Wait, really?"

"_Yes. I'm not from this world, though. You see, this isn't the only timeline that exists. The one I came from is entirely different from this one. In fact, I'm not even sure you existed in that one."_

"I thought there was something off about you. What does that have to do with you possessing me, though?"

"_Most of the details aren't important, but long story short, I died. My soul didn't fade away, though. I wasn't finished in that world quite yet. The only problem was, human souls can only last for so long after the human dies before they start to fade. I needed a body."_

"So you preyed on other humans."

"_Exactly. Unfortunately, most of them weren't... determined enough for my purposes. They died, too. It took six humans before I finally found a workable vessel."_

"Well, good for you. It's never easy finding your soulmate."

Kris' arm suddenly began to move against his will, possessed by Chara. She forced him to slap himself across the face, then returned control of the limb.

"_You're starting to remind me of a certain someone... Someone I hated more than anyone else."_

"Uh-huh. So you stole a body from another human after a lot of failed attempts. Why?"

"_I'll say this in no uncertain terms: I _despise_ humanity, Kris. I have never felt more genuine hatred for anything else in my life. I wanted the humans to die. _All of them_."_

"Why? Did a human kill you or something?"

Chara went silent for a moment. _"I'd rather not say. It's not important anyway. The important part was that if I wanted to fulfill my goal, I needed power. And there was only one way to get that kind of power."_

"Apocalyptic genocide."

"_Correct. I didn't have access to any other humans, so I had to make do with monsters. I wasn't happy about it, and neither was my new partner, but it was the only way. We couldn't let anyone live... Not the ones I made friends with so long ago, not those weird skeleton brothers... not even my own parents."_

"Forgive me for not feeling sympathy for the bloodthirsty psycho. So, you wiped out the monsters. Then what?"

"_At the end of it all, we had the power to destroy that entire timeline. My partner tried so hard to stop me... but at that point, it wasn't her choice anymore. As far as I know, there's no trace of that world left."_

Kris was stunned. "You... destroyed an entire timeline...?"

"_And I didn't even stop there. That was the most interesting part about it all. After the world ended, I had the ability to invade the other ones. There are so many, Kris... infinitely many."_

"...And you want to eradicate all of them."

"_As many as I can before I finally fade away for good."_

"Right... How'd you end up here?"

"_Eventually, it got boring reliving the same story over and over. Some timelines had a gimmicky twist on them, but not enough to keep me engaged. Then I noticed this one, completely unrelated to the rest. How could I resist?"_

"And this time, I was the lucky human that got to be your host."

"_Exactly. Now you know the state of things. That's why I'm here with you, and why I'll be here with you until you finally stop resisting."_

"Then you're gonna be here for a long, long time."

"_I think you're underestimating my own determination, Kris. The only reason I'm still around is through sheer force of will. Besides, I can tell your will is getting weaker."_

"What gave you that idea?"

"_You're filled with regret. You feel like a danger to everyone else. You feel like a burden. You're losing your will to carry on because you care about your friends so very much."_

Kris said nothing.

"_I'm right, aren't I?"_

"You're... not wrong."

A ghostly laugh echoed in Kris' head. _"It's just a matter of time. You'll break soon enough."_

He buried his face in his hands. What if she was right? What if he couldn't outlast her? If she was capable of conquering entire timelines, could she even be stopped?

Ralsei looked on in sadness. His every instinct was telling him to pull Kris into a hug and tell him everything would be alright. He was clearly miserable about something, and whatever it was, it was obviously taking a toll on him. Slowly, Ralsei began to step toward him, only to stop in his tracks when he spoke again.

"What was that you said about needing a host?" he asked.

"_I don't like repeating myself,"_ Chara replied, clearly annoyed.

"Your soul will fade away if you don't have a body, right?"

"_Where are you going with this...?"_

Kris wordlessly drew his sword. For a moment, he simply stared at it, looking into the eyes of his reflection in the blade.

"If your soul fades away, then you're not a threat anymore," he whispered. His grip on the weapon trembled slightly.

"_Don't even try it, Kris,"_ Chara hissed. _"I swear on my life, I will slaughter everyone you love."_

"How are you gonna manage that? Don't you need a determined human as a host?"

"_I'll find a way. I always do."_

"Someone'll stop you, I know it. If I can at least slow you down, that's good enough for me."

"_You're really willing to leave your friends behind to mourn you? Your family?"_

"I'm doing this to protect them. If I have to die to make sure they live... then I'm content."

Kris held his sword mere inches from his heart. His hands began to shake. He hesitated. He didn't want to die. But he had to stop Chara. This was the best way to protect everyone else. But how would they feel? Surely someone would miss him.

'_What the hell am I gonna do?_' He let out a shaky sigh, lowering his weapon a bit.

"Kris, stop!" Ralsei's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Kris jumped in fright, dropping his sword. "Ralsei? What are you doing here?"

Ralsei ran to Kris' side, reaching for the sword. "What are _you_ doing here, Kris?"

Kris snatched the weapon from Ralsei's grasp. "I couldn't sleep... I came here to clear my head."

"And what are you doing with your sword?"

Kris looked away.

"Kris, talk to me. Please." Ralsei sat beside Kris, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This... isn't your problem."

Ralsei shook his head. "Kris, I've been behind you for a while now. I heard you talking. I know what you were about to do."

There was no reply.

"Why, Kris? Why were you about to do that?"

Still no reply.

"You don't have to do this! We'll find a way to stop Chara, I promise. You don't have to die, Kris."

"What if we can't stop her?" Kris finally snapped. "Ralsei, she never gives up. She never stops trying to take control. I can't even remember a time when she wasn't whispering in the back of my mind." He hung his head.

"She can't be invincible. If there's a way to beat her, we can find it. I know we can. But we need you, Kris."

"How can you be so confident? The best plan we've got is, 'hope the royal scientist can help and that the Knight doesn't freaking kill us'."

"He _will_ be able to help, I know it." Ralsei cringed a bit. The mere mention of the royal scientist dredged up unfond memories.

"And what about the Knight? Or Chara? What's going to stop them from hurting the three of you? What's going to stop them from killing you?"

Kris' eyes shifted to the sword in his hands.

"If I do this, then you guys can at least go home and live your lives."

"Kris, I can't let you do this. Please, don't do this." Ralsei's voice began to crack.

"I'm trying to protect you. Please, don't make this any harder." Kris struggled to force back the tears forming in his eyes.

"You can't expect me to sit back and watch you kill yourself!"

"Ralsei, you're all in danger because of me!" Kris suddenly shouted. "You saw what Chara's been doing. You know the Knight's not gonna hesitate to kill us. And it's..."

The tears began to flow freely.

"...it's all because of me, Ralsei. This is all my fault..."

Kris allowed the weapon to fall to the ground. He buried his face in his hands.

"Kris, you know that's not true," Ralsei began to console him. "You didn't ask for any of this. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I brought Chara here, Ralsei." Kris' voice was muffled and shaky. "I led the Knight to us. I put you all in danger."

"You can't blame yourself for this," Ralsei whispered. "What else were you supposed to do?"

"I... I don't know..."

Ralsei pulled Kris into a hug. He immediately returned the embrace, burying his face in Ralsei's shoulder. His body trembled as he wept softly.

"I'm so sorry..." he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't need to apologize, Kris," Ralsei replied, gently caressing his head. "Everything's going to be okay."

Kris nodded silently.

The two remained in that position for several minutes. No words were spoken, no movements made. Slowly but surely, Kris' breathing steadied. His tight grip on Ralsei's cloak began to loosen.

He pulled away, his face stained with tears. "Ralsei... thank you. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"It's okay, Kris," Ralsei reassured him. "You have the right to cry."

Kris wiped his eyes. "I don't normally break down like that. It's just..." he trailed off.

Ralsei nodded. "You know I'm here for you, right? We all are. Whenever you need us. We want to help you through this, Kris. We don't care how dangerous it is."

Surprisingly, Kris began to smile. "That... means a lot to me. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you."

Ralsei began to smile himself. "We all really care about you. I..." he faltered, "...I care about you a lot."

"Are you blushing?"

"Huh?" Ralsei hid his face behind his scarf. "N-no..."

Kris chuckled. "If you say so."

"You seem to be in a better mood already," Ralsei observed. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I've got you guys backing me up, right?"

"Always."

"Great. Let's head back, then. I'm exhausted."

Together, they left the clearing, returning to Noelle and Susie's location. Kris immediately threw himself onto the ground, overcome with exhaustion. He briefly glanced at the two girls, then at Ralsei. He smiled to himself.

'_What did I ever do to deserve friends like these?_' he wondered, before drifting off to sleep.


	10. Out of the Cold

Chapter 10: Out of the Cold

"_We just gotta run faster than telecommunications can transmit information."_

_-Northernlion_

* * *

"...So long story short, I was right," Kris stated. "Chara wants to kill us all, and when she's finished, she's just gonna jump to another timeline and do it all over again." He and his companions had been walking for a few hours, and he took the opportunity to recount what Chara had told him.

"That's just... horrible," Noelle commented. "What had to happen to make her so cruel?"

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole 'infinite timelines' thing," Susie added. "You're really just gonna ignore something like that?"

Kris shrugged. "I feel like if I think about it for too long, I'd just end up feeling insignificant. I'm not ready to get that existential."

"Alright, I get that."

Ralsei chimed in, "So, if she can't live without a host, we just need to separate you two, right?"

"I guess so," Kris answered. "Anyone know how to do that?"

"I wish," Susie remarked.

"Well, I guess that leaves us with the royal scientist. We better keep moving."

"Right. Anything else interesting happen last night?"

Kris' eyes fell to the ground. "It... was a bad night for me."

"Why, what happened?"

"I almost... did something pretty drastic."

Susie's expression turned serious. "What do you mean?"

He lowered his voice, "I almost killed myself last night."

Susie and Noelle stopped dead in their tracks.

"You _what_?" Susie was surprised.

"Kris, why would you do that?" Noelle's voice was filled with concern. "Do you need to talk...?"

"I was hoping to take Chara with me," Kris answered. "Ralsei talked me out of it. I'm alright now, really."

"Are you sure?" Susie questioned. "This is a pretty big deal, you know."

"I'm gonna be okay. I just got a little too caught up in some feelings I've been having recently. I'm not gonna try anything like that again, I swear."

"I hope not. What kind of feelings, exactly?"

Kris hung his head. "I'm just... kinda starting to feel like more trouble than I'm worth. You guys have two different people trying to kill you because of me. I feel bad for putting you all at risk..."

"Oh, Kris..." Noelle walked up and gave him a consoling hug.

"You can't think like that," Susie said. "We know it's dangerous out here, the Knight made that pretty clear. But here's the thing: we don't give a damn."

"We're here to help you, Kris," Noelle added. "You don't need to feel bad about something that isn't even your fault."

"Yeah. No matter what happens, we're with you, whether you want it or not," Susie grinned.

Kris chuckled a bit. "You know, that's exactly what Ralsei said. It makes me feel better to actually hear you say it, though."

"So you're sure you're okay?" Noelle asked.

"Yeah... I think I'll be just fine."

He returned Noelle's embrace. He couldn't help but smile. Knowing just how much his friends cared for him filled him with a sense of happiness he hadn't felt in years. He felt like he was ready to face whatever may lie ahead.

After a moment, he pulled away. "I feel like we should keep moving."

"Lead the way, then," Susie said. "And remember something while we're out here: no one's allowed to kill you except for me."

"I think I can live with that," Kris laughed.

"Seriously, though, don't lose hope. It'd suck to lose you."

"Well, I think that just got a whole lot easier." He pointed to the north, "Let's go."

They ventured forth, feeling reinvigorated. While they walked, Noelle pulled Ralsei aside.

"Ralsei..." she said, "thank you."

"For what?"

"For not letting Kris go through with... well, you know."

"You don't have to thank me for that. He's my friend, too. I couldn't let him do that."

"I know, but... still. He might've actually done it if it weren't for you. Whatever you said to him, I definitely think it made him feel better. I really appreciate you for that."

Ralsei smiled a bit. "Um... thanks."

Noelle glanced in Kris' direction, sadness in her heart. "He's a good person, Ralsei. He really doesn't deserve what he's going through."

Ralsei looked at Kris as well. He sighed fondly, "I know. I just wish I could do more for him..."

"You're doing everything you can already."

"Yeah, I guess so." He still wasn't fully convinced.

Kris' voice suddenly interrupted their conversation, "Well, would you look at that. We've finally reached the end of the fissure!"

"I was starting to think it went on forever," Susie remarked.

Kris quickly glanced at his map. "We should just be able to head east from here. Susie, you'll be happy to know we'll be out of the cold pretty soon."

"Well, it's about damn time. Let's go!"

Kris led them onward with a renewed sense of purpose.

* * *

Later...

The snow had stopped falling hours ago, and the snow-covered ground had recently given way to fields of pale blue grass.

"Well, I already like this place more than that frozen hellhole," Susie commented.

"It does seem nice here," Noelle agreed. "How much further to the royal scientist?"

"We're halfway there, more or less," Kris answered, studying the map. "You know, there's a town not far from here. Might be a good opportunity to buy some things we might need."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, what do you normally need for a quest to the edge of the world?"

"Some healing items wouldn't hurt," Ralsei mentioned.

"Yeah, that's the opposite of what they do," Susie commented. "Considering who's after us, I'd say we need a little more hurting power."

"Sounds good to me," Kris said. "Let's go."

* * *

As soon as the four entered the town, they were greeted by an odd fellow clad in gray robes.

"Greetings, wayward travelers," he said, an indiscernible tone to his voice. "Welcome to the Town With No Name."

"You never named this place?" Susie questioned.

"Oh, you misunderstand. That is the official name of this town."

"You seriously named your town the Town With No Name."

"We are not a creative people, you see."

"No kidding."

Kris interjected, "We're just passing through. Do you have a general store or something here?"

The strange fellow nodded, "Certainly. You may find it right over there," he pointed toward an aged, mostly featureless stone building. "I am certain you will find everything you require for your travels, wherever they may take you."

"Thanks." Kris beckoned his companions.

They took in the sights around them. It was a small, rather quaint town. There were relatively few people walking the streets, all clad in nearly identical robes of varying colors. All of the buildings were identical, with stone walls and a flat, wooden roof. Their only distinguishing features were varying degrees of age and wear, and large wooden signs denoting their purpose.

"What a strange town," Noelle commented.

"It feels like this place was built in a day just to mess with us," Kris observed.

"Well, you are halfway right," the strange fellow said, startling the four. He seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Wait, are you following us?" Susie asked.

He seemed to ignore her question, "This town was constructed during the Chaos King's conquest. It was originally intended as a base of operations for his soldiers. Several of them laid down their arms when the King became the sole monarch, and those that did remained here. We no longer fight, so we instead choose to sell our armaments to those who visit this town."

"I didn't ask for your life story, old man."

"I thought it was interesting..." Ralsei mumbled.

"Well, we'd love to stay and listen to your stories," Kris said, "but we've got places to be and not a lot of time to get there."

The strange fellow nodded, "Yes, my apologies. I will not delay you any further." He walked off.

"That dude's weird," Susie said.

"Let's not worry about that too much," Kris said. "Let's just get what we need and go."

* * *

"Greetings, wayward traveler," the strange fellow started. "Welcome to- wait, are you not the Knight?"

"Yes, it is I," Sariel answered. "I will make my purpose clear. I witnessed a group of travelers enter this town. Three lightners, and a darkner. Does that sound familiar?"

"Why, yes. I welcomed them to our humble town mere moments ago."

"Where are they now? I have been tasked with bringing them into custody."

"I am terribly sorry, sir, but may I ask why?"

"Time is short. All you must know is that I act for the good of the kingdom." Sariel leaned close, glaring directly into the fellow's eyes. "Where are they?"

The fellow pointed in the direction of the general store. "They are currently shopping."

Sariel nodded. "Thank you for your assistance. I will be swift."

With his silver blade in hand, Sariel marched. He would not allow himself to fail again.


	11. A Foe Most Relentless

Chapter 11: A Foe Most Relentless

"_A moment of valor shines brightest against a backdrop of despair."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

"I feel deadlier already," Susie announced, experimentally swinging her new weapon back and forth. It was a large, black metal halberd, with a blade in the shape of a spade. "So what'd you guys get?"

"Well, I got these," Kris displayed his weapons: a coiled steel sword with a matching offhand dagger. "Thought I might try dual wielding."

"Are you ambidextrous or something?"

"Not at all."

"Fair warning, then: when you poke your eye out with that, I'm gonna laugh."

"I'd be insulted if you didn't."

Susie chuckled slightly, glancing over to Ralsei and Noelle. "What about you two?"

Their conversation was interrupted when a bolt of magic energy ripped through the air, mere inches from the four. Noelle jumped back in fright.

"What the hell?" Susie immediately took on a battle stance.

"Guys, it's the Knight!" Noelle called out, stepping backwards. Everyone turned to face their attacker.

"Consider that a warning shot," Sariel spoke in his familiar baritone.

"You just never quit, do you?" Kris' tone was one of annoyance.

"I did not achieve glory in battle by standing down." He stopped just a few feet from the group, brandishing his sword. "I will grant you an opportunity to surrender now. We have no reason to shed more blood than is necessary."

"I'd argue that the necessary amount of bloodshed is none."

"Human, it is imperative that the demon be stopped, no matter the cost. I understand your apprehension, but time is running short. I am offering you a painless death."

"And what about Ralsei? What are you planning on doing to him?"

"That does not concern you."

Kris stepped forward threateningly. "Anything to do with my friends concerns me. We're not surrendering."

"And you're not laying a hand on Kris, either," Susie's eyes seemed to flash with murder.

"So be it." Sariel beckoned them. "We shall see if you can best me a third time."

"We'll do a hell of a lot more than that!" She quickly delivered an overhead attack with her new weapon, which was effortlessly deflected. He followed up with a swift elbow strike, before parrying a sudden surprise attack from Kris.

He continued to attack Sariel to no avail, before stabbing at him with his offhand dagger. Sariel simply grabbed him by the wrist and tore the weapon from his hand. He examined it for a moment, then holstered it in his own belt.

"Excuse me, I paid a lot of money for that!" Kris complained.

"Expensive weaponry is not a substitute for skill," Sariel punctuated his statement with a left hook to the face. A fiery barrage of magic struck him in the side, followed by a heavy cleaving attack from Susie. Sariel quickly conjured a barrier to defend against her assault.

Kris attempted a thrusting attack, only to be stopped dead in his tracks when Sariel simply stomped down on his sword. He then proceeded to kick Kris in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Susie continued to relentlessly attack Sariel, assisted by a cascade of fire from Ralsei. Their attacks had done remarkably little damage to his barrier. Smirking behind his mask, he channeled the barrier's energy into a projectile, then sent it at Susie. She let out a cry of pain as it pushed her back several feet.

Sariel stepped forward, locking eyes with Ralsei. "Why must you resist?"

Ralsei readied a spell, glaring defiantly. "Why would I cooperate with you? Look at what you're doing to my friends!"

"I do what I must because you are unwilling. This pointless conflict could be avoided if you would simply come unto your maker."

"Why, so you can kill Kris and do who-knows-what to me?"

"Would you prefer to watch your companions die one by one?"

"Alright, stop with the speeches," Susie said, approaching Sariel. "They're a waste of everyone's time."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Very well. It will be very satisfying to finally fell you, hellion."

"Then shut up and fight!" She charged at him with reckless abandon, attacking as aggressively as she could. Kris accompanied her, attacking Sariel from behind. Both of them were easily repelled, while only managing to inflict superficial wounds.

Ralsei continued to bombard Sariel with magical projectiles, which did rather little. Noelle took aim with her crossbow, but found herself unable to line up an accurate shot. She struggled to steady her trembling hands.

Susie swung her halberd at Sariel, who interrupted the attack with a leg sweep that knocked her down. Kris rushed at him, only to have his attack deflected and countered with a pommel strike to the chest. He attempted to retaliate with a quick sword thrust. Sariel evaded the attack, grabbed Kris' sword by the blade, and ripped it from his hand before tossing it aside. In one fluid motion, he punched him with enough force to send him tumbling to the ground.

Susie continued to clash with Sariel. Each swing of her blade bounced harmlessly off of a magical barrier, while each strike he landed hurt more than the last. Her movements grew slower.

Jumping back, he unleashed a burst of magic energy that sent her flying. She hit the wall of a nearby building and crumbled to the ground. She slowly rose to her feet, wiping blood from her mouth.

"Let me give you some advice, miss," a voice from behind her grabbed her attention. One of the town's robed citizens was leaning casually on the sill of an open window. He continued, "You might do a little better if you weren't getting hit so much."

"Wow, I never would've guessed," she rolled her eyes. She grunted in pain when Sariel suddenly charged into her, slamming her against the wall.

"You're not doing a very good job," the robed man said as he shut the window.

Sariel continued to slam Susie into the wall repeatedly, until Kris suddenly stabbed him in the back. Turning to face his attacker, he retaliated with a backhanded slap, followed by a forceful kick that pushed him back.

After taking a moment to steady themselves, Kris and Susie charged at Sariel in unison, attacking him from both sides. He took a single step to the side and, when they were close, he grabbed both of them and slammed their heads together. Both of them collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Sleep," Sariel commanded, a blue glow forming in his hand. The glow washed over the two, and within seconds, they were fast asleep. He sighed deeply, sheathing his sword.

"Guys, wake up!" Ralsei called out, preparing a healing spell. His efforts were disrupted by a burst of magic that left him staggered.

"A decisive pummeling," Sariel commented on his own handiwork as he stepped toward Ralsei. "Do you now see the futility in your resistance?"

"Stay away from me!" Ralsei attempted to prepare another spell, only to be interrupted once again. He cried out in fear as Sariel grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him close and staring into his eyes.

"Accept your defeat, Ralsei. Your desperate struggle is truly pitiful to behold."

"Let me go...!" Ralsei was unable to break free from his grasp.

Sariel ignored his desperate pleas, "I must admit, I do not know what fate awaits you. However, I can assure you that you cannot escape it." His voice grew harsher, "You cannot choose who you are, Ralsei."

A crossbow bolt suddenly struck him in the chest. Surprised by his attacker's audacity, he plucked the bolt from his chest and tossed it aside. He narrowed his eyes at Noelle, who had already reloaded her weapon.

"Get away from them," she said, her voice trembling a bit.

"How did I ever forget about you?" Sariel threw Ralsei to the ground and drew his sword, stepping forward. "Tell me, cowardly one. Do you truly believe you can claim victory?"

She took a deep breath. "I have to protect my friends. I can't just... I can't let you win."

He chuckled. "Very well, then. Face me."

He fired off a cascade of fiery projectiles in her direction, which she evaded. She returned fire, only to have her shot ricochet off of a barrier. He sprinted toward her, bringing his sword down in an overhead strike. She jumped out of the way and fired again, hitting him in the side. He retaliated by slapping her across the face, then sending her backwards with a blast of magic.

She cried out as she stumbled and fell, her weapon clattering to the ground. Sariel stomped toward her threateningly, but stopped when he was hit by a barrage of magic.

"Don't worry, I'm with you!" Ralsei reassured her, before working to rouse Kris and Susie from their induced slumber.

Noelle grabbed her crossbow and looked up at Sariel, who was still approaching her. He towered over her, staring down at her with cruel indifference, his mask a terrifying visage of death. She was afraid, and yet, she felt ready to face off against him. She wouldn't be alone, after all. If they could beat him without her, she was confident that they could beat him again with her help.

'_I can do this,_' she told herself. '_I can do this._'

She rolled out of the way as Sariel brought his sword down upon her. She loosed another bolt, hitting him in the shoulder. He immediately removed it and began to cast a healing spell on himself. Noelle stood as she fired another shot, which was swiftly deflected. He sent a series of magical projectiles in her direction, while charging toward her. She evaded the magical barrage, only to step into the path of his swinging sword and get slashed on the side. A golden light enveloped her, and the wound was healed instantaneously.

"I must admit, I am impressed," Sariel spoke. "You are surprisingly formidable. I have high respect for one who can suppress their terror long enough to put up a fight."

"I'm... not afraid," she lied.

He shook his head. "Regardless, this skirmish has gone on long enough. I implore you to lay down your arms and cease this pointless endeavor."

Noelle said nothing. She steeled herself and fired off another shot, which harmlessly struck Sariel's barrier.

"Still, you maintain your confidence? Perhaps you truly have overcome your cowardice."

She hurriedly reloaded her crossbow, but was then tackled to the ground. She struggled in vain to escape Sariel's grasp, until she was struck in the head by the pommel of his sword. Her vision began to grow darker.

"You will be pleased to know that I have been ordered to capture you alive," he told her. She barely heard him as she struggled to focus. "Now, then-"

He stopped mid-sentence to deflect an incoming attack. Noelle's eyes drifted to the left, where Susie was currently crossing blades with Sariel.

"You're doing great, sister. Keep it up!" she said, maintaining a stalemate with her opponent. She gained the upper hand when Kris suddenly attacked Sariel from behind, throwing him off balance.

While the three of them fought, Ralsei rushed to Noelle's side and began to heal her. He lifted her off the ground, helping her remain upright as she stumbled a bit.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm okay, thanks to you," she answered, taking aim with her crossbow. Ralsei's hands began to crackle with magic power.

Sariel continued to fend off Kris and Susie's relentless assault, but his defenses were beginning to crumble. In an attempt to create distance between himself and his opponents, he channeled what little energy remained in his barrier into a projectile, which he sent at Kris. He then focused his efforts toward Susie, striking hard enough to push her back with every hit he landed.

He let out a scream as a crossbow bolt struck him, immediately followed by a beam of magical energy that scorched the air. He stumbled, leaving himself open to attack. Susie flashed a menacing grin as she swung her weapon, its blade finding purchase in Sariel's chest. He collapsed to the ground, quickly projecting a barrier to shield himself from further harm.

Susie continued to attack, accompanied by Kris. Noelle and Ralsei approached, continuing to rain projectiles down upon him. A network of deep cracks quickly spread throughout his barrier. Unseen by his attackers, Sariel set his sword down on the ground, charging a spell in his right hand. Within seconds, his barrier was shattered.

"Enough!" he shouted, swiftly raising his hand and discharging his channeled magic energy. His attackers were sent back several feet. He rose to his feet, sword in hand. He slowly stepped backwards, clutching at his chest.

"Clearly, I must reconsider my methods against you," he rasped, a golden light emanating from his hand. "I have never faced opponents quite like you."

Noelle pointed her crossbow at him, but Kris lowered it. "I'm telling you, you don't have to keep coming at us," he said. "Just go the hell away."

"Or you could just let us ice you right now," Susie snarled.

Sariel chuckled grimly, shaking his head. "You are all aware that I simply cannot ignore you. I will endure as many defeats as it takes to triumph. For the sake of the dark world, I cannot fail. I will not fail."

"Yeah, whatever. Just go. You'll be back anyway, won't you?"

"Indeed." He pointed at them, his hand dripping with blood. "Before long, you will fall. As long as I draw breath, I will act in defense of the dark world. Such is my purpose."

With that, he walked off.

"We beat him..." Noelle muttered to herself. She gasped in surprise when Susie suddenly threw her arm around her, pulling her close.

"You're damn right we did!" she said, a wide smile on her face. "Ralsei told me you fought him one on one. Is that right?"

"Um... yeah."

"That's incredible. You looked him in the eye and shot him in the freaking face! I'm proud of you, Noelle."

"R-really...?" Noelle began to blush.

"Hell yeah! We'd probably be dead if it weren't for you. As long as you keep fighting like that, nothing can stop us."

Noelle's blush intensified as she leaned into Susie's embrace. "Well... thanks. I'm just glad I did something useful."

Susie couldn't help but smile at her. It surprised her how quickly she had gotten attached to her. But then again, could anyone blame her? Noelle was simply pleasant to be around. She was kind, caring, charming, and _goddamn, was she adorable_.

'_Wait a minute, did I just call her adorable?_' Susie asked herself. '_That's not a thing I do._'

'_...Did I just develop a crush on her?_'

Unwilling to process those thoughts immediately, she chose to change the subject. "Hey, Kris, quick question: why do we always wait until the Knight kicks our asses to start attacking him all at once?"

"You mean, why don't we just swarm him right away?" Kris asked.

"Exactly. Why wait for him to beat the hell out of us?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. We're all idiots?"

"Well, that makes sense."

Kris glanced around, noting the damage their battle had caused. Blood staining the streets, dents and cracks in the pavement, scorch marks on the walls of buildings. Oddly enough, none of the town's citizens seemed deterred in the slightest.

"Hey, I think we should go," he suggested, gesturing toward the signs of battle.

"No argument here," Susie said. "Let's bail."

"Leaving so soon?" the strange gray-robed man suddenly appeared behind them.

"We don't have very much time to lose," Ralsei explained. "We're sorry about the damages. That fight got a little out of hand..."

"Oh, there was a fight?" the robed figure seemed confused. "I am afraid I did not notice."

"Wait, are you serious?" Susie was incredulous. "Look around, dude."

The robed figure took a closer look at his surroundings, and nodded. "I see. Do not worry, this is all rather minor. We will take care of the damages."

"Alright, then," Kris shrugged. "We're gonna go, then."

"Safe tidings on the journey ahead, wayward travelers."

The strange fellow walked off, leaving the four alone. Unsure what to think, they simply exited the town and continued eastward. Noelle walked with her head held high, filled with newfound confidence.

Kris suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Ralsei asked.

"...I never got my dagger back."


	12. The Desert

Chapter 12: The Desert

"_The passage to the Shore is not an easy road."_

_-Through Fire and Flood description (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_

* * *

It was hot. The air was dry and humid. The ground was covered in sand as far as the eye could see. There was no mistaking it - they were deep in the desert. The Town With No Name had long since vanished beyond the horizon, and there were no signs of civilization for miles.

"Now this, I can live with," Susie commented, taking in the sun's warmth. After venturing through Snowfall's frigid climate, she found it to be a pleasant change of pace.

"I'll never understand how you tolerate the heat," Kris said, fanning himself. "This is horrible."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm a lizard person. I can't stand low temperatures."

"See, I'm basically the opposite. I love cold weather. It's just pleasant to me for some reason."

"I'm with Kris," Noelle chimed in. "I've always loved the winter months, but summer's usually terrible for me."

Susie smirked, "Well, yeah. You guys were right at home in that frozen hell, and I'm right at home in this barren desert."

"I'm glad you're happy," Kris said, "but a desert is basically my worst nightmare. Plus, I hate sand..."

Susie narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even think about finishing that line."

"Okay, fine." He feigned a tone of annoyance.

"Don't start collecting pocket sand, either," Noelle added.

"Well, now this place has no redeeming qualities," he sighed.

There was a brief pause.

"So, Ralsei," Susie questioned, "where do you stand on the 'cold vs. heat' debate?"

"Oh, I don't really care too much," he replied. "I can handle just about any climate."

"That's surprising, considering you're covered in fur," Kris observed.

"Well, it makes the heat a little worse, but it's not that big a deal."

"Really? I'm pretty sure a third of your body mass is just pure fluff. It's precious."

"You're overestimating."

Kris noticed the faintest trace of redness on his cheeks. He laughed, "If you say so."

The conversation ended there. He took a moment to take in the sights around him. Of course, the sand stretched on seemingly endlessly into the distance, with nearly nothing to distinguish one part of the landscape from another. To the right, there was a rather shallow and thin river that extended far beyond the horizon.

Kris glanced at his map. The desert was vast, encompassing a significant portion of the dark world. He noted how little of significance seemed to be in this place; there were only two towns in the entire region. Their path led directly through the mysterious Seventh Region, without much ability to avoid it. Considering the destruction Chara had already caused, and knowing she'd never let up, he had resigned himself to the fact that they may have to find a way through the quarantine zone.

"Ralsei, do you know anything about this desert?" Kris broke the silence.

"Not much," Ralsei answered. "I've never been here before, and there's not a lot of information about it. It's not a very livable area, though. Apparently, it only ever rains into that river. No one seems to know why."

"Sounds a little suspicious to me," Susie chimed in. "You sure there's no weird magic stuff going on here?"

"That's a prevailing theory, actually. But if there is magic affecting the area, no one's found the source."

A sudden, loud _crack_ echoed through the area. A small flash of red light bloomed on the ground, leaving a scar in the earth. It was fairly shallow, but it emanated a deep red glow that pulsed rhythmically. It almost seemed like it was alive.

"That doesn't seem good," Kris deadpanned. He already knew who was behind this.

"At least it's not in our way," Susie said.

"I don't like that glow, though..."

The ominous light flowed from the tear like a fountain, seemingly tangible and intangible at the same time. It twisted and folded in on itself, occasionally taking on a recognizable form for seconds at a time. It was simultaneously unnerving and mesmerizing to behold.

"...I think we should keep going," Kris tore his eyes away from the light.

"That... seems like a good idea," Noelle visibly perturbed. She looked away, trying to regain her composure.

They continued east, leaving the anomaly behind them. It continued to writhe and shift endlessly, perhaps fulfilling an unknown purpose.

"Can we go five minutes without you messing with us?" Kris questioned his unwanted partner.

"_You already know the answer, Kris,"_ Chara replied. _"I'm just keeping things interesting in this boring desert."_

"Y'know, I was actually kinda hoping things would slow down a bit."

"_Well, it's too late to back out now. I guess you'll just have to deal with it."_

Kris sneered. "Never a dull moment, I guess." His voice was filled with contempt.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Sariel set his mask on the ground as he knelt. The act sent a dull ache through his body. He winced slightly, mentally berating himself for his recent defeat.

"I have returned, sir," he spoke.

"Sariel," Gaster greeted him. "You're kneeling again, aren't you?"

"...no." He hastily stood, wincing again as another ache coursed through his body.

Gaster turned to face him. "Sounds like things didn't go well."

"My apologies, sir. I have never faced opponents quite like them."

"Don't be too hard on yourself." A golden light formed in Gaster's hands, enveloping Sariel's form. "You can't expect to win every fight, no matter how skilled you are."

"They have defeated me in all of our encounters. Even the cowardly one has begun to fight back."

"You'll figure something out, I know it. Do you have any news about Chara?"

Sariel took a deep breath as the golden light faded. "She continues to cause damage to the world. So far, it has only been physical damage to the land, but I fear that genuine corruption may soon begin to take root."

Gaster jumped slightly as his hand was briefly consumed by a white, formless mass. The effect - an aberration, he called it - persisted for a few seconds, then vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Corruption such as that?" Gaster said.

"Yes, sir. Chara suffers the same affliction as you: she does not belong in this timeline, and is suffering the associated adverse effects."

"She doesn't have a physical form, though..." He began to flip through several messily organized notebooks, discarding most of them as he searched for the correct one.

"She is immensely powerful, sir. That, combined with her lack of a physical form, leads me to believe that she could be capable of deflecting these aberrations into the world. If this is correct, the results could be catastrophic."

"You don't say." Gaster threw his many notebooks onto his desk, cursing himself for being so disorganized. "If she does start causing aberrations, maybe we can reverse their effects. If she dies, she'll fade away, and the timelines won't have any mistakes to correct. Maybe that'll cause them to fade as well..."

He took yet another notebook and began scribbling notes frantically.

"What about Ralsei and the human? Anything about them I need to know?"

"Ralsei is just as defiant as ever. The human's will to fight seems to have faltered, at least temporarily."

"How so?"

"He recently attempted to take his own life in an attempt to stop Chara himself."

Gaster's eyes fell to the floor. "...I see."

"The human was overcome with regret. He believed that his death would serve the greater good. Ralsei talked him down, and the two seem to have formed a strong bond."

Gaster sighed, feelings of guilt and sympathy swirling in his head. "I feel bad for the human, Sariel. I really do. If anything, he's the victim in all this."

"I am aware, and I understand, but I do not see any other way to stop Chara that would not be traumatic to the human."

"Yes, I know..." He halfheartedly set the notebook aside. "Your orders still stand. Bring them to me alive. Don't use any more force than necessary, though. I want to talk to them."

"Yes, sir." Sariel affixed his mask, giving a quick bow. "I will not fail you."

"That's what you said last time."

"I have not failed until I have been killed. I will succeed eventually."

"I wish you the best of luck."

Sariel nodded, turning to leave.

Gaster sat back in his desk chair, alone with his thoughts. Years of poor decisions, mistakes, and regret weighed heavily on his mind. He truly had allowed this to get out of hand, and if he didn't act now, it'd never be fixed.

"That's it. I'm not putting this off anymore."

And so began the long and arduous process of sorting and marking his notes and research papers. He would introduce a proper organization system if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

That night...

"I'm not kidding," Ralsei said. "The first thing he did was shove a handful of moss into his mouth and eat it."

"Didn't even leave any for me..." Susie grumbled.

Noelle laughed. "Was he 'perpetuating the cycle of existence'?"

Ralsei nodded. "He used those exact words. Has he done this before?"

"Once or twice. He always said something like, 'I can't let existence end here!', and then he'd eat some random plant he scraped off the ground. It's always a little surreal."

"What would happen?"

"He'd cough it up and complain about having a sore throat for days. And then he'd do it all over again. He keeps saying that one day, we'll respect his moss eating powers."

Ralsei shook his head, giggling a bit. "How old is he again?"

"Seventeen."

"...How?"

"Luck, probably," Noelle laughed. She was pleasantly surprised with how confident she had become recently. She was grateful that Ralsei and Susie had been so friendly and welcoming toward her. She felt like she was finally starting to come out of her shell.

"Kris, you wanna weigh in?" Susie chuckled. "You've been pretty quiet for a while."

There was no reply.

"Kris, are you alright?" Noelle asked. "Usually, when this topic comes up, you have some pretty strong and controversial opinions to share."

"N-no..." Kris rasped, his voice barely audible.

Ralsei stepped toward him in concern. "What's wrong, Kris?"

Kris was silent. His breathing was ragged and shallow. His body trembled. His skin was pale.

"You're freaking me out, brother," Susie said. "Say something."

"Not again..." The words began to turn to ash in his mouth. "Please don't do this again..."

Against his will, his hand raised. His attempts to stop it were in vain.

"Don't hurt them, I'm begging you..."

His pleas were ignored. In an instant, he plunged his hand into his chest cavity. He let out an agonized scream as he reached deep into his chest.

"What in the actual goddamn?!" Susie could barely believe what she was seeing.

"Oh my God...!" Noelle covered her mouth in shock.

Ralsei looked on in stunned horror as Kris continued to scream, digging into his own chest. The process took mere seconds, but it seemed to go on for hours.

Eventually, Kris pulled it free - his soul, the very culmination of his being. He stopped screaming, and took a long look at it. The heart-shaped soul shone with a crimson light, and bore multiple deep cracks. He exhaled in a way that could constitute a laugh, and tossed the soul aside.

"Kris...?" Ralsei was horrified.

"'Kris?' No," he said, a satisfied tone to his voice. "He was never the one in control."

He turned to face the group, grinning madly. He drew his sword.

Susie's eyes flashed with unbridled rage. "What did you do to him?"

Kris - no, Chara - laughed. "I think it's time I actually had a turn."

Her eyes flashed red with murder. Wouldn't this be _fun_?


	13. The Other Him

Chapter 13: The Other Him

"_Assuming direct control of this form."_

_-Harbinger (Mass Effect 2)_

* * *

Kris' body moved, guided by Chara's will. She immediately targeted Susie, locking blades with her. Chara's strength overwhelmed her. She struck with murderous intent, the likes of which Susie had never seen before.

Chara broke her guard, forcing her weapon aside and slashing her across the chest. She let out a pained scream, stumbling backwards and clutching at the wound. Her hand was coated in fresh blood.

"You hit pretty hard, I'll give you that," Susie hissed through gritted teeth.

"You're only as strong as your intent to kill," Chara's words were filtered through Kris' voice. "I'm honestly surprised you lived."

Susie's pain eased as a golden light washed over her. "You're not getting rid of me that easy!"

She charged at Chara, bringing her halberd down in an overhead attack. Chara evaded the attack with a quick sidestep.

"Susie, be careful!" Ralsei pleaded. "Don't hurt him!"

"Are you serious? This isn't Kris!"

Chara laughed. "Of course, you'd never try to kill this body. You wouldn't want to hurt your dear friend, now, would you?"

Susie took a step toward her, baring her teeth. "I'm not afraid to lay you the hell out. Try squaring up when I beat you within an inch of your life."

Chara flashed an insane smile. "Now you're the kind of enemy I live for!" A series of ethereal, blood red knives manifested themselves in her hand.

"Wait, Kris can't do that."

"No, but I can. Come at me, Susie!"

The two charged at each other and began to trade blows.

From his perch atop a large cliff, Sariel peered down at the unfolding skirmish. Chara controlled Kris' body with surprising grace, nimbly evading Susie's attacks and countering with her own. Spectral knives flew back and forth, blades crossed with one another, and four combatants circled each other in a rather elegant dance of death.

Sariel's hands went to his sword, unsheathing it. He took a knee and continued to watch the battle.

Ralsei attempted to protect Susie from Chara's onslaught, but every barrier he created was shattered effortlessly. He continued to cast healing spells whenever Susie would take a hit, which was happening with alarming regularity. He refrained from using his offensive spells, not wanting to harm Kris' body, whether he was in control of it or not.

"What are we gonna do?" Noelle took up a position beside Ralsei. She was visibly shaken.

Ralsei's eyes darted over to Kris' soul. It lied uselessly on the ground, its warm light illuminating the darkness.

"We need to return his soul to his body," he told her.

"How would we do that?"

"Just shove it back into his chest!" Susie shouted, deflecting another blow from Chara.

"I guess that's the plan, then." Ralsei clapped his hands together, his body surging with magic power. "Get his soul! I'll protect you!"

Noelle gave a quick nod and sprinted toward Kris' soul, letting out a cry of fear as a stream of spectral knives flew in front of her, mere inches from her face.

"Stay away from that," Chara commanded. Her hand crackled with a dark power, which quickly coalesced into a bright light. Repelling Susie with a swift kick, she released the spell, projecting two ghastly spectral images of herself that rushed toward Noelle.

Ralsei projected a barrier, which the wraiths ran into face first. He followed up by sending a cascade of fire at them, destroying the ghostly images.

"Well, that was disappointing," Chara complained, before Susie punched her square in the face. She retaliated by throwing a fan of ethereal knives that sliced into Susie's skin. Blood began to drip from her wounds.

After receiving a quick heal from Ralsei, Susie continued to attack. Chara continued to evade with great dexterity, deflecting her attacks and navigating around them with relative ease. She countered with attacks of her own, each one hurting more than the last. She struck with boundless cruelty, laughing madly with every drop of blood she spilled.

Noelle collected Kris' soul from the ground. She quickly examined it, feeling its warmth in her hands. It emanated a ceaseless crimson light, disrupted only by the cracks in its surface: two deep ones, and a third, faded one. They looked as if they had been present for years.

She shook her head and ran back to Ralsei, ducking under a few stray knives.

"I've got his soul," she announced. "What now?"

Ralsei created a barrier to shield himself from an incoming barrage of knives. "We need to find an opportunity to return it to his body. We'll probably have to restrain him somehow."

Noelle looked on at Chara and Susie's duel. Amidst a whirling cyclone of spectral blades, the two continued their deadly dance. Chara looked no worse for wear, though her movements had grown just a little slower. Susie's wounds were mounting rather quickly, despite Ralsei's efforts to heal her.

"How are we gonna do that?" she asked.

"We need to wear him out so I can pacify him," Ralsei replied. "Just don't hurt him too badly. We don't want to kill him."

"Then get in here and help me!" Susie demanded, swinging her weapon to no avail.

Noelle held Kris' soul close, readying her crossbow. She turned to Ralsei, "We need to attack. If Chara has to keep dodging, that should tire her out, right?"

Ralsei nodded hesitantly. "What if we hurt him, though?"

"Just heal him and apologize later, dumbass!" Susie barked, struggling to withstand Chara's relentless assault.

Ralsei sighed, creating small flames in his hands. "Fine." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "I'm sorry, Kris..."

Chara stepped back and readied another fan of ethereal knives. She jumped in surprise when a stream of flames flew across her face. She turned to face her attacker, ducking when she saw Noelle preparing to fire. As the bolt flew overhead, she noticed Susie approaching, and raised her sword to defend against her attack.

"One at a time, damnit!" She hissed, creating another pair of spectral projections. They immediately charged after Ralsei and Noelle, while Chara herself continued to skirmish with Susie.

Ralsei halted their advance by releasing a magical impulse that swept them off their feet. Before they could recover, he bombarded one with a torrent of fireballs, destroying the wraith. Noelle reloaded her crossbow and took aim, but hesitated.

"They're just temporary projections," Ralsei clarified. "They're not really alive."

As the other wraith stood, Noelle steeled herself and launched a bolt into its head, destroying it. Her grip on her weapon shook, but she kept her nerves under control.

Susie's attacks had become rather slow and sluggish, each movement sending waves of pain through her body. Nonetheless, she kept the pressure on Chara, even though she hadn't come close to landing a successful attack for several minutes.

Chara continued to dance between Ralsei's fiery projectiles and Noelle's crossbow bolts, her steps becoming ever more inelegant. She stumbled a bit, into the path of an oncoming fireball. Ralsei cringed as it made impact. Chara fell to the ground.

Seeing an opportunity to strike, Susie charged at her, halberd raised overhead. Chara hurriedly rose from the ground, readied her sword, and decisively thrusted it forward. The blade impaled Susie in the abdomen, eliciting an agonized gasp.

Chara stepped aside as Susie dropped to one knee, leaning heavily on her weapon for support. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground beneath her. She clutched at her abdomen, desperate to slow the bleeding.

"Oh God, Susie!" Noelle gasped, rushing to her friend's side. She stopped in her tracks when Chara threw a fan of knives her way. She received a few cuts on her arms.

"Stay away!" Chara shouted between heavy breaths. She raised her sword, stepping toward Susie. "I'll get to you in a minute."

Her eyes fixated on Noelle, Chara thrust her sword in Susie's direction. It bounced off of something. Confused, she looked down to see a magic barrier, with a blossoming crack in its surface.

"Clever," she said, attempting to catch her breath. "But it's not unbreakable."

She drew her sword back to prepare another attack. She gasped in surprise when a blue light suddenly enveloped her. An intense feeling of exhaustion fell over her within seconds.

She glanced over at Ralsei. "You bastard," she hissed, languidly dropping to her knees. "You're not... going to win like this..."

Ralsei focused his efforts, the blue light in his hands shining brighter. He nodded to Noelle, who nodded back in understanding.

"No..." Chara lethargically pointed her sword at her own chest. "I'd rather... die and take this body with me... than lose like this..." Barely able to remain conscious, the weapon slipped from her hands and dropped to the ground.

With Kris' soul in hand, Noelle approached Chara. She knelt down, looking back and forth between the soul in her hands and the body Chara currently controlled. Struggling to steady her hands, she squeezed her eyes shut and shoved the soul into Chara's chest.

Gasping for breath, Chara fell backwards. "N-no... no!" she desperately clawed at her chest, accomplishing nothing. Her - his - body trembled.

Ralsei immediately ran to Susie's side and began to heal her wounds. She simply nodded in thanks, unable to speak between labored breaths.

Kris' voice began shouting as the two souls fought for control.

"Just give up! You can't win!" she said.

"Get out of my head!" he said.

"You are a disease!" she gritted her teeth.

"You're not hurting anyone else!" he defied her.

Kris' body struggled with itself for a few seconds, before suddenly going limp. The red glow in his eyes faded. He lied on the ground, gasping for breath.

Susie was unsteady on her feet, but remained upright. "Kris, you okay...?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine, I think," he muttered, shifting into a sitting position. "What the hell happened?"

"You don't remember?" Ralsei helped Kris to stand.

"Not really. I kinda blacked out-" a look of horror flashed on his face when he saw Susie's injury. "Susie, you're bleeding! What happened?"

"Dude, you ripped your soul out," she explained, inhaling sharply as a wave of intense pain coursed through her body. "Chara took control and started attacking us. You really don't remember that?"

Kris' eyes widened in shock. "What?! Oh my God, are you all okay?!"

"Well, we're not dead, so I guess the answer is yes." She flashed a lopsided grin.

"Kris, don't worry about us," Noelle placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I..." he lowered his head. "I guess I'm fine..." He felt a pang of regret deep in his chest - in his very soul.

"You don't look fine," Ralsei wrapped his arm around him.

"I'm..." Tears began to well up in Kris' eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

"Kris, you don't need to apologize," Ralsei pulled him into an affectionate embrace.

"You got hurt because of me," his voice cracked. "I dragged you all into this..." He hesitantly returned Ralsei's embrace.

Noelle hugged Kris as well. "We're here because we want to help you, Kris. Just take a breath, okay?"

"You've got nothing to be sorry about," Susie placed a comforting hand on Kris' shoulder. "That wasn't you, brother."

"I guess so..." he couldn't bring himself to face her.

She gave a patient smile, "Seriously, it's okay. Don't worry about it.."

"No one's blaming you for any of this, Kris," Ralsei whispered. "You don't need to be so hard on yourself."

"Alright..." He sniffled. "I'm just falling apart... I'm a mess, aren't I?"

"Of course you're not," Noelle consoled. "It's okay to cry, Kris."

Susie nodded in agreement. "Considering what you're going through, I think you get to cry more than anyone else."

"We'll support you no matter what happens, Kris," Ralsei stated. "You'll never have to do this alone."

Kris smiled, burying his face in Ralsei's cloak. "I really don't deserve you guys..."

From his perch, Sariel observed. The battle had ended, and no sounds could be heard aside from the howling wind. He watched as Kris' companions comforted him, helping him cope with what was no doubt a traumatic experience. He gave them a silent nod of respect.

Standing, he sheathed his sword and walked away. He couldn't bring himself to attack now.

After Kris had stopped crying, Susie pulled him aside and began to talk to him personally. Noelle took this opportunity to speak to Ralsei.

"Ralsei, I'm worried about him," she said. "Did you see his soul?"

"I did," Ralsei nodded sadly.

"Why was it cracked like that?"

"That definitely wasn't physical damage. Cracks like that..." He sighed. "They come from emotional pain."

"Oh, Kris..." She placed her hand over her heart. "I wish I knew what to do for him..."

"I'll try talking to him about it tomorrow," Ralsei said. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Ralsei."

He simply nodded in response. He so desperately wished there was more he could do.


	14. Malcontent

Chapter 14: Malcontent

"_Your only existence shall be that which I weave for you out of sorrow and woe."_

_-Black Spindle description (Destiny)_

* * *

Ralsei quickly glanced at his companions. Kris and Susie were having a rather heated discussion about some tangential, oddly specific subject, while Noelle was clumsily attempting to restring her crossbow. Ralsei was keeping to himself, lost in his own thoughts.

He had never seen a soul as damaged as Kris'. Obviously, something was causing him intense emotional pain, but what? What could have caused such deep cracks to form? Some sort of trauma, perhaps? Chara clearly hadn't done him any favors, after all. That could explain one crack, but what about the others?

Ralsei sighed to himself. He wouldn't get anywhere by guessing. He had to talk to Kris. But would he even want to talk about it? Those memories had to be painful ones. But he had to at least try to get him to open up. Even if he didn't want to talk, it might be comforting to at least know someone cares enough to ask.

His eyes shifted to Kris. Whatever Susie had just said, it caused him to suddenly burst out laughing. She kept talking, and Kris laughed harder, burying his face in his hands. Ralsei smiled sadly. It brought genuine joy to his heart to see Kris expressing happiness in any capacity, and it saddened him to know how rarely such a thing occurred. He had only seen that beautiful smile of his a few times, but it was truly magical every time.

'_We'll get through this, Kris,_' Ralsei thought. '_Then, hopefully, your soul can start to heal._'

Ralsei was shaken from his reverie when Noelle's crossbow slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground. She sighed in annoyance.

"Are you sure you don't need help with that?" Ralsei asked.

"I think I've almost..." She went silent as she fastened the string into place. "Got it!"

Ralsei nodded. "Guys, we're ready."

"Then let's head out," Kris stood. "We're burning in this daylight."

"Don't you mean, 'we're burning daylight'?" Susie questioned.

"I know what I said." He pointed eastward. "Let's go."

"Kris, wait," Ralsei stopped him. "Before we go, I need to talk to you."

"Let me guess: you're madly in love with me." He grinned slightly.

"W-what? No!" Ralsei took a step back. "I'm being serious!"

Kris chuckled, "Alright, what is it?"

"It's about what happened last night. I'm really worried about you."

Kris sighed, sitting down on a large rock. "I know you're worried, but I'm in control of myself now, I promise. That kind of thing doesn't happen too often, anyway."

Ralsei sat beside him. "I never doubted that, Kris. I'm worried about _you_."

"What's this about, Ralsei?"

Ralsei lowered his head a bit. "It's about your soul. It's cracked, Kris."

"Wait, what?" Susie was surprised.

Kris let out a shaky breath, his gaze falling to the ground. "I... never noticed."

"Kris, please, talk to us." Ralsei took his hand.

He kept staring at the ground. "Listen, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."

"You have cracks in your soul, and you almost killed yourself. You're not fine, Kris."

"It's not exactly easy to talk about this, you know."

"I know it hurts, but don't you think you'll feel better if you talk about it?"

"...I don't know."

"You know we'll support you, right?" Noelle placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just talk to us. Let us help you."

"What do you want me to say?" Kris looked up. "That I've been possessed for nine years? That I feel like I'm a prisoner in my own body? That I can barely talk to anyone about it, because, let's be honest, who the hell is gonna believe something like that?"

"Well, I guess that's a start," Susie deadpanned.

He let out a dejected sigh. "I hate talking about this because I just feel like I'm fishing for sympathy."

"Kris, it's alright to talk about your problems," Ralsei said. "You wouldn't think that way about someone else, would you?"

"Of course not."

"Then be fair to yourself. Don't make this harder on yourself, okay?"

Kris fell silent. It was hard to bring himself to share these memories. Just thinking about them induced a dull pain in his soul. He hated the idea of burdening his friends with his own emotional anguish.

That being said, they had made it very clear that they would support him, no matter what. Perhaps having someone to talk to really would help him cope.

Besides, they'd probably keep asking even if he said no, right?

Finally, he spoke, "Alright. If you're really so invested, I can tell you a little bit."

"Whatever you're comfortable with, Kris," Noelle said.

He nodded. "Well, obviously, dealing with Chara hasn't been easy. I was just a kid when she showed up and, let me tell you, she makes a hell of an entrance. First thing she did was make me rip my soul out."

"That's horrible..." Ralsei commented.

"What's really horrible is what happened right after. Apparently, right after that, I - or she, however you wanna say it - tried to kill my brother, Asriel. I don't really know what happened, but I don't think anyone got hurt, at least."

"What about you?"

"I was eight, what do you think I did? I cried my eyes out. Asriel could've died, and I felt responsible. Everyone told me it wasn't my fault, but I still felt pretty terrible.

"After all that, Chara finally decided it was time to introduce herself. We didn't get along, because, honestly, that's a pretty bad first impression."

"Did she say anything about her whole 'kill everyone' plan?" Susie asked.

"Vague hints, and she kept saying I was lucky."

"Gonna have to disagree with her on that... What happened then?"

"We tried everything we could think of to get rid of her. Nothing worked, and honestly, I think it just made her mad. It didn't really take long for me to start feeling like I was putting people in danger, so I kinda isolated myself. Plus, I'm the only human in my hometown so I started feeling like even more of an outcast. Really, the only friends I had before this week were Noelle and Asriel."

Wordlessly, Ralsei wrapped his arms around Kris. He wrapped his own arm around Ralsei in silent appreciation.

He continued, "My parents got divorced a few years later, and that's been pretty hard on me and Asriel. Then Asriel went off to college, and Noelle and I didn't really see each other too much, so I've basically been alone for the past couple years. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Asriel, but..." He trailed off for a moment, "I really miss him."

"Kris, I'm sorry..." Noelle whispered, shifting closer to him. "I had no idea you were so lonely..."

"Hey, don't worry about that. You're a great friend." He briefly glanced at Ralsei and Susie. "That's become less of a problem anyway."

He paused for a moment, sighing softly.

He continued, "That's basically most of my major problems. I don't really wanna talk about the pre-Chara days, but I think you guys get it. I haven't really had much to be happy about for a long time."

"You've got us," Susie said.

Something resembling a smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, I do, don't I..."

Ralsei took his hand again, looking into his eyes. "I wish I knew how to make you feel better, Kris. I don't know what to say that I haven't already said..."

Kris placed his hand over Ralsei's, his smile taking on a more definite form. "Honestly, just having someone to talk to helps a lot. I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me."

'_There's that lovely smile again._' Ralsei's heart skipped a beat.

Ralsei smiled himself. "We'll do whatever it takes to help you through this."

"Thanks. I'm glad I'm doing this with you guys."

Susie chimed in, "We'll give you something to be happy about, Kris." She leaned close, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tell you what: next time I punch the Knight in the face, it'll be in your name. How's that sound?" She punctuated her statement with a sly grin.

Kris chuckled, "Sounds good to me."

There was a lull in the conversation. Kris quickly glanced at the sky. The sun was still high overhead, burning bright. He silently cursed the sun as its intense light stung his eyes.

"We should probably get moving," he said as he stood. "We've got a long walk ahead of us."

"Are you feeling any better, though?" Noelle asked.

"Honestly, yeah, I am. I think I needed to vent a little."

"That's good to hear."

He nodded. "Well, why don't we talk about something else?" he suddenly tried to change the subject. "Things have been getting a little too serious for my tastes."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Susie asked.

"I don't know. I've only got, like, two topics in mind, and you and I already went through one. I will disagree with you until the end of time, by the way."

"You're just mad because I'm right."

"Susie, cereal is not a freaking soup. That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard."

"Dude, the milk is the broth. It's a soup."

"Wait, isn't soup served hot?" Noelle questioned.

"Cold soups are a thing. I'm just saying, cereal technically counts as a soup."

"Maybe in some cursed parallel universe," Kris said, "but definitely not this one."

From high atop the cliff, Sariel watched as they ventured forth. Walking along the face of the cliff, he followed closely behind them, sword in hand.


	15. He Just Keeps Coming

Chapter 15: He Just Keeps Coming

"_Then I will kill you as many times as it takes."_

_-Genichiro Ashina (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)_

* * *

Sariel peered down from atop the cliff, sword in hand. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky a warm orange color. He had followed the group for several hours, awaiting the perfect moment to attack. He hoped such an opportunity would present itself soon; he was quickly becoming annoyed with their meaningless discussions.

His eyes darted back and forth among the four. Several battle scenarios played out in his head. Perhaps he could break their formation with projectile attacks and charge in before they had a chance to regroup. Perhaps he could restrain one and use them as a bargaining chip. Perhaps he could simply make them fight to the point of exhaustion and pacify them all.

Down on the ground, Ralsei suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking up at the cliff. His companions noticed, and stopped as well.

"Ralsei, you good?" Susie asked.

"I feel like we're being watched," he replied, still staring at the cliff. "I've had that feeling for a while now."

"You think someone's on the cliff? How would they even get up there?"

"I don't know... I might just be paranoid."

"I don't think we can be too careful out here," Kris said. "Maybe we should keep our guard up, just in case."

As soon as he finished his sentence, a bolt of magic energy ripped through the shimmering air, landing between the four. They jumped back in surprise, before scattering as more bolts rained down upon them.

Ralsei quickly projected a barrier to defend against the assault. Everyone gathered behind it, searching frantically for their attacker. After a few seconds, the projectiles stopped flying, and a tense silence fell over the area. Ralsei maintained his barrier.

"Let me guess..." Susie's tone was one of annoyance rather than anger or fear.

In an instant, Sariel was upon them. With a single strike, he shattered Ralsei's barrier, sending him stumbling back.

"Of course." Susie brandished her halberd. "How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?"

Sariel scoffed. "Such audacity. Try as you might, you will never truly defeat me. Such a feat would require willpower you do not possess."

"What, you think we can't win because we haven't killed you yet?"

"I know you cannot. I will go to any lengths to defend this world, and for its sake, I will fight to my last breath. And I know you will never kill me." He looked at Ralsei. "You are _weak_."

"Following my principles doesn't make me weak," Ralsei retorted, a harsh tone to his voice.

"You rejected your duty, your sole reason for existing. You are barely above a traitor. That is not a virtue."

Ralsei winced, an ache of existential sadness in his heart. "Is that what he said...?"

Sariel shook his head. "He said nothing of the sort."

"Alright, I've had enough of you," Susie strode toward him. "You need to learn when to shut your mouth."

"You dare to approach me?"

"I can't kick your ass without getting closer, can I?"

Sariel chuckled lowly. "Then come as close as you like!"

Without warning, a crossbow bolt flew through the air, hitting him in the shoulder. Susie immediately followed up with an attack of her own, which Sariel blocked with a hastily projected barrier.

"Clever," he said, tearing the bolt from his shoulder. He stepped back as the barrier crumbled, focusing his efforts to create a new one. His attempt was disrupted when Kris suddenly attacked from the side and began to trade blows with him.

"Tell me," he said between attacks, "Are you aware of Ralsei's true nature? Do you not wonder?"

"I don't need to know," Kris answered.

Sariel projected another barrier as he fought. "Do you truly believe he can be trusted?"

"I'd trust him with my life!"

"Fascinating." He repelled Kris with a quick kick, and was subsequently hit with several fireballs. Growling in anger, he struck Kris in the face with the pommel of his sword, then released his barrier's energy as an impulse that nearly swept Susie off her feet.

He sprinted toward Noelle, ducking and weaving through her and Ralsei's attempts to return fire. While she fumbled with her weapon, Sariel delivered a swift punch to the face that threw her to the ground with enough force to leave her breathless. Ralsei sent a cascade of fiery magic his way, but they dispersed harmlessly as he created another barrier.

He raised his sword overhead, preparing to strike Noelle in the head with its hilt. He was suddenly thrown off balance when Susie charged into him, thrusting her halberd into his back. He cried out as she withdrew the weapon, its blade reddened with blood.

"Get away from her, you bastard!" She continued to attack, each strike backed by raw fury. He parried her blows, but he soon found himself surrounded when Kris joined the fray. Ralsei ran to Noelle's side and helped her recover.

Kris and Susie attacked relentlessly, giving Sariel little opportunity to retaliate. Noticing the deep cracks spreading through his barrier, he discharged its energy to knock Susie back, before creating a small flame in his hand. He ran his hand across the blade of his sword, lighting it on fire. He attacked Kris, each hit creating showers of fiery embers that singed his skin.

He stepped to the side as Susie thrust her weapon in his direction. He grabbed it and attempted to pull it out of her hands, to no avail. Shaking free from his grasp, she swung her weapon into his chest, forcing him back slightly. Before he could recover, Kris attacked as well, locking blades with Sariel.

With a loud battle cry, Susie delivered a heavy overhead attack, slicing Sariel across the face. His mask split in two, its pieces falling to the ground as he stumbled backwards. He let out a scream as his hand went to his face.

"How's that feel, you son of a bitch?" Susie taunted, flashing her teeth menacingly.

A golden light poured from his hand. He pulled his hand away, chuckling as he noticed the swath of fresh blood coating it.

"A powerful blow," he commended, shaking the blood from his hand. "You are a remarkable opponent." When he looked up at them, they were taken aback by his appearance.

His face resembled that of a goat, much like Ralsei's. His silvery fur was stained red with his own blood. His eyes were a deep scarlet color, and filled with fury. His right horn was short and chipped, and the left was broken completely. A bloody gash ran across his face due to Susie's handiwork.

Susie rapidly glanced back and forth between Sariel and Ralsei, visibly confused. "Well, this is kinda creepy," she muttered.

"Ralsei, why does he look like you?" Kris said, taking up a position beside him.

"I..." The words turned to ash in his mouth.

"You never told them of your true nature," Sariel stated with derision. "How _deceptive_."

"Ralsei, what's he talking about?" Noelle asked.

"Who cares?" Susie stepped forward, halberd raised. "Kick his ass now, ask questions later!" She charged, swinging her weapon wildly. Kris simply shrugged and followed behind her.

While the three battled each other, Noelle and Ralsei maintained their distance, raining projectiles upon Sariel. His attempts at a defense were met with limited success. He had all but given up on shielding himself with barriers, instead opting to return fire with projectiles of his own. He struggled to line up a shot in the face of Kris and Susie's aggression.

Through sheer luck or incredible focus, he managed to hit Noelle with a series of fireballs. She screamed as they burned her skin, and she fell to the ground. Ralsei immediately ceased his offensive in favor of healing her.

Sariel shifted his focus toward fending off his other opponents. Deflecting an attack from Susie, he struck Kris hard enough to knock his sword from his hand. He followed up with a forceful kick that knocked him down. He continued his duel with Susie.

"If I may weigh in," he said, "your opinions are inane."

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that," Susie snarled.

Sariel forced Kris back to the ground without so much as a sideways glance. "A hot dog does not qualify as a sandwich!"

"Oh, them's fighting words, brother!" Susie suddenly seemed to hit harder.

"They are their own type of food, you heathen!"

Susie knocked him back with a quick headbutt. "You don't seem like the kind of guy to care about that kind of thing."

"After hours of trailing you, I could not suffer your insipid opinions any longer." He stepped back to wind up an attack, before being struck in the chest by a crossbow bolt. As soon as he plucked it out, Susie stabbed at him with the spike on her weapon's blade. Kris followed that up with a swift pommel strike to the face. Susie violently pulled her weapon free before punching him square in the chest. He lost his footing and fell.

"Stay down, fool," she commanded, pointing her weapon at him.

"I will not throw good effort after bad," Sariel grunted in pain as he stumbled to his feet. He projected a barrier as he retreated.

"You were right," Kris said to Susie. "We should've just rushed him down right out of the gate."

"I still say we should just chop his head off right here," she growled.

"Don't," Ralsei pleaded. "Then he'll be right. We don't have to kill him to beat him."

Susie hesitated for a brief moment, but nodded. "You're lucky, dude."

"Perhaps," Sariel said. "Regardless, your insistence on mercy shall be your undoing. Your refusal to come quietly will be this world's undoing."

They watched as he retreated, eventually disappearing from view. Susie rushed to Noelle's side.

"Noelle, are you alright?" she was visibly concerned.

"I think so..." she winced a bit as she nursed her burn wounds. "It doesn't hurt too much."

"Are you sure? Those don't look too good."

"I'm okay, really. What about you?"

"A few cuts and bruises. Nothing serious."

Noelle briefly analyzed her to confirm. "Good." She paused for a moment. "You know, Susie, you're pretty, uh..." she trailed off.

The two suddenly became aware of how close they were; they were mere inches apart. Noelle suddenly lost her nerve. The two looked away from each other, unable to maintain eye contact.

'_She's so cute,_' they thought.

While Ralsei healed his companions, Kris suddenly spoke up. "Ralsei, what did he mean by 'your true nature'?"

"I was wondering about that," Susie added. "I was also wondering why he looks like he could be your brother."

Ralsei froze. What would he tell them? Could he tell them? They must have had dozens of questions.

"Well, I... I mean... he just..." he stuttered, desperately trying to find a way out of this conversation.

"Ralsei, you're shaking," Kris pointed out. "Are you okay?"

His heart hammered in his chest. He was hyperventilating. The color had drained from his face.

"Ralsei, calm down," Kris sat him down gently, a hand on his shoulder. "Just breathe, alright? Just take a deep breath."

He nodded, starting to take slow, deep breaths. He said nothing for several minutes. His companions remained at his side, offering support in whatever way they could. Eventually, he stopped trembling. His breathing leveled out.

"Are you okay?" Kris asked, clearly worried.

"I... I think so," Ralsei answered. "I'll be okay."

"Good."

"What's going on with you, Ralsei?" Susie asked, kneeling beside him. "You've been dodging this whenever it comes up."

"I..." Ralsei lowered his head.

"You don't need to tell us if you don't want to," Kris assured him. "We trust you. I'll take your word over the Knight's."

"No. You..." He took another deep breath. "You deserve to know."

"You're sure about this?"

Ralsei nodded. "It might be better to talk about this anyway."

He paused for a moment, considering how to begin. He removed his hat, the shadows concealing his face disappearing.

"You can probably tell I have ties to the Knight and the royal scientist."

"Did you work for them or something?" Susie asked.

"Not exactly... It does deeper than that."

His grip on his hat tightened.

"The royal scientist... he..." He took another deep breath. "He created me."

The group fell into silent surprise.

"Like, he's your father?" Kris questioned.

"No. He synthesized my soul with power from the dark fountain. He made me in his lab. The Knight, too."

"...huh?" Susie was dumbfounded.

"I'm an artificial construct. I was made in a lab."

"Ralsei, I..." Kris struggled to make sense of this. "I don't really follow. Why would he do that?"

"It's a long story..."

"We've got time, if you're willing to tell it."

Ralsei was visibly uneasy, but he nodded. "A-alright. I'll... try to tell you what I know."


	16. Purpose

Chapter 16: Purpose

"_Violence. Your heart beats with violence."_

_-Notorious Invader Vest description (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_

* * *

Sixteen years ago

Gaster shielded his eyes as a blinding light flooded the chamber. After five failed attempts to create a living being, he was desperately hoping for positive results. He needed something resembling success.

As the light faded, he stepped toward the dark fountain, a notebook and pen in hand. He peered into the fountain, noting the familiar heart shape inside.

A soul. It was upside down, and black in color.

Gaster reached out and grabbed it, ignoring the burning pain that consumed his hand. He studied the soul for a moment, searching for the familiar signs of instability. It had a symmetrical shape, and pulsed rhythmically with power.

Conjuring a third hand out of thin air, he scribbled down a few notes about the soul.

"_From initial observations, soul appears stable. The procedure seems to have worked. We might finally be in business."_

He paused for a second.

"_Subject six will be designated 'Ralsei'."_

He stared absently at the soul, feeling a sting of remorse. Sighing deeply, he turned to leave.

'_If only there were another way..._'

* * *

Pain. Agonizing pain. He felt nothing else as the energies of the dark fountain converged around his soul, giving his body form. Gaster looked on from a safe distance, taking notes of the process.

Bone. Muscle. Flesh. Piece by piece, his body was synthesized by the fountain's power. Intense agony coursed through him. His nerves were on fire. He so desperately wanted to scream, but he could not.

Suddenly, the pain subsided. With a weak gasp, he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

Approaching slowly, Gaster studied the figure on the floor. He was rather small, and resembled a humanoid goat. He was fully clad in a dark green coat, with a similarly colored wizard's hat on his head, concealing his face.

Gaster set his notebook aside and knelt down beside the trembling figure. He reached out, but stopped himself. Best not to terrify him.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. "Can you speak?"

"What was...?" the figure said between ragged breaths. "Who's there...?"

He turned to face Gaster, and immediately jumped back in fear. Instinctively, he fired off a flaming projectile that narrowly missed its mark. The figure began to crawl backwards in panic.

"Stay away from me!" he begged. He looked down at his hands briefly. "How did I do that...?"

"Please, calm down!" Gaster pleaded, standing up. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

His back against the wall, the figure pulled his hat over his face, whimpering softly. Gaster knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The figure tensed up for a moment, but eventually relaxed slightly.

"I don't know what's happening..." the figure mumbled, his face still buried in his hat. "I can't remember anything..."

'_That's because you don't have any memories,_' Gaster considered telling him the circumstances. '_No, it's too soon. He could act irrationally._'

"Who... who are you...?" the figure asked, lifting his head to expose his face. He had pure white fur and a pair of innocent eyes, wet with tears.

"Doctor W.D. Gaster," he gave a friendly smile. "You can call me Gaster."

"O-okay. Gaster..." His eyes welled up with more tears. "I... can't even remember my own name..."

"I think it might be Ralsei?"

"Ralsei? Are you sure?"

"It's as good a guess as any."

"Right... then, I guess I'm Ralsei." He seemed to be feeling just a little better. "Can... can you tell me where I am?"

"Well, you're in my laboratory right now. I'm the royal scientist of the King of Spades, you see." Gaster paused for a second. "Are you familiar with the dark world?"

Ralsei shrugged. "I know about the kings, and I know a little bit about the world itself, but that's about it."

Gaster nodded. "My lab is on the edge of the... Seventh Region. Be careful if you leave the lab, though; the Seventh Region's been quarantined."

"Why, what happened?"

It took great effort to suppress his discomfort. "I'm... I'm not sure," he stuttered. "People seem to lose their sanity there. It hasn't spread outside of the region, though."

Ralsei seemed confused, but didn't press further. "How did I get here?"

"I found you unconscious, near the dark fountain. I brought you back here," Gaster spoke a half truth. "I was hoping I could help you."

"Well, thanks." He lowered his head. "I'm... not sure what to do now. I still can't remember anything... Do I have any family?"

"I don't think so."

Ralsei felt a twinge of sadness. He said nothing.

"Listen, I think I can give you some sense of direction," Gaster said. "The King of Spades needs a powerful warrior for..." he hesitated for a bit, "...one reason or another. I think you've got potential."

"Me, as a warrior? What makes you think I could do that?"

"Well, I mean..." Gaster pointed at a large scorch mark on the wall.

"I don't know if I could handle that..."

"You'll get all the training you need. Besides..." he sighed softly. "You'll be serving a good cause," he lied. The words disgusted him.

Ralsei considered his offer. He found the idea of serving as a warrior unpleasant, for reasons he couldn't determine. Despite this, he didn't necessarily want to decline. He felt as if he was without purpose, without a reason to exist. The idea of serving a noble cause, while finding meaning for his life, intrigued him.

Besides, he didn't have any other options, did he?

Finally, Ralsei spoke. "I don't really have much choice... I guess I'll be the king's warrior."

"Great." Gaster stood and offered his hand to Ralsei, who took it with slight hesitation. "If you'll just give me a moment to take care of something, I'll take you to the king."

"Okay."

Gaster sat down at his desk, horribly cluttered with scattered notes and papers, and started writing.

"_Ralsei is able to speak fluently, and displays some cognizance of the world around him. Perhaps adding a fragment of my soul gave him this knowledge? Whatever the cause, it makes things easier._

"_He displays an aptitude for fire magic. He may possess other latent magical abilities, but that remains to be seen. I will suggest he receive training to capitalize on his magic skill."_

Setting his notebook aside, he stood and beckoned Ralsei. "Alright, let's go. Stay close; the Seventh Region is dangerous."

With a feeling of uncertainty, Ralsei followed Gaster out the door.

* * *

Two years later

Gaster sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. Nothing had gone right. He was running out of ideas. He was running out of time. What could he do?

He began to absentmindedly scrawl in his notebook, hoping inspiration would suddenly hit.

"_Ralsei displays no aptitude for combat. He seems averse to the whole idea. He's quite skilled in magic, but he has no desire to exercise those skills in battle. He barely fights back in sparring matches, so I dread to think what would happen in an actual war. He'd never be able to cope with taking a life._

"_He'd rather serve as a healer, but the king doesn't want a healer. He wants a killer, someone who can conquer the other kings' armies. He's been disappointed with Ralsei, and he's been breathing down my neck trying to get me to make him another warrior. But what would we do with Ralsei? This issue isn't that simple."_

Gaster thought about the matter for a few seconds. His eyes widened ever so slightly.

"_Or is it? I still have access to the dark fountain, and I've still got plenty of soul left. I should be able to make another. Maybe then the king's men will stop watching my every move and I can leave this place._

"_But can I let this happen in good conscience?"_

He sighed to himself and leaned back in his chair, his eyes glued to the ceiling.

'_He hasn't given me any other options,_' he reminded himself. '_This is the only way I'll ever have a chance to see my sons again._'

* * *

Ralsei slunk into the lab, his spirits low. His latest training session had ended in disappointment all around. He was ashamed of himself; in two years, he hadn't come any closer to being the warrior the king demanded. He hated the idea of hurting other people, necessary or otherwise.

But he had no other options. The king had denied his request to serve as a healer, and refused to allow anyone else to occupy the role he required. Ralsei never understood why they hadn't written him off as a lost cause. What made him so special?

He was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed how quiet it was. He looked around and saw a recently written note on Gaster's desk.

"_Ralsei, I have some business to take care of. I trust you to stay out of trouble._

"_-Gaster"_

'_Alright, then,_' he thought. '_I guess I'll grab another book._'

He turned to walk away, but found his eyes drawn to the open notebooks lying on the desk. He was unbearably curious about their contents. What was it that Gaster spent so much time writing down? It may have been wrong to look through someone else's notes, but _he had to know_.

'_Well, these are technically books,_' he told himself.

He sat down at the desk and began flipping through the notebooks. He noticed an unusual amount of notes about him, from physical descriptions to mental assessments. There were several mentions of some sort of assignment from the King of Spades, of which Gaster clearly had a low opinion.

Conveniently, all of the notes were dated. Ralsei sifted through them to find the earliest entries.

"_I barely understand what's happening right now. I've found myself in a strange parallel world, which the locals call the 'dark world'. They keep calling me 'lightner', like I'm supposed to know what it means._

"_They don't seem very fond of me. Their king won't even let me leave unless I help him expand his rule. How am I supposed to do that? I'm a scientist, not a soldier."_

Ralsei wondered how a lightner could possibly get to the dark world. No one knew of any passages between the two worlds. Did he create one? Could such a thing even be done?

Ralsei decided to ask later. He continued reading.

"_The King of Spades wants a warrior. Not just any warrior, though. He wants someone who can stand against the other kings' armies and come out on top. Somehow, he's gotten it in his head that I can create such a person for him._

"_He's given me access to the dark fountain, which gives this world its form. If it's that powerful, maybe I can use it to get home. The only problem is, the king's men are watching me 24/7 to make sure I do what he asked._

"_I hate to go along with the king's warmongering plans, but if I don't, he'll probably just have me beheaded. Who knows. Maybe the fountain can create souls..."_

The next few pages detailed Gaster's attempts to synthesize a soul from the fountain's power. They had all destabilized within minutes, save for one, which had apparently suffered a mental breakdown and escaped into the Seventh Region, never to be seen again. Ralsei felt bad for them.

He looked through the entries for subject six.

"_I think the king's starting to doubt my abilities as a scientist. I've had no successful results, and I'm running out of ideas. Plant-based lifeforms clearly aren't the way forward, if my last attempt is any indication._

"_Perhaps the soul needs some sort of stabilizing force. It would have to be a powerful dose of magic, somewhere around the same level as a monster soul._

"_It's just crazy enough to work."_

Intrigued, Ralsei flipped to the next page.

""_From initial observations, soul appears stable. The procedure seems to have worked. We might finally be in business._

"_Subject six will be designated 'Ralsei'."_

Ralsei reread the passage several times. Every time, it was just as much of a shock as the first. Everything started to make sense. He understood why he had no memories of his past. He understood why he had no family. He understood why he was so special to the king.

He was an artificial construct. His soul was synthesized. He was meant to be the king's warrior.

He didn't even know how to feel. This revelation had shaken him to the core. He felt emotionally numb.

His hands trembling, he looked through the rest of the notes. Among several detailed reports of his physical and mental states, he found several notes from his training instructors addressing his performance.

He noticed multiple recurring words. 'Disappointing'. 'Unsatisfactory'. 'Incapable'. Each one stung more than the last. Despite this, he felt compelled to read more.

"_Ralsei displays no aptitude for combat."_

"_Ralsei's nice and friendly, but worthless as a soldier."_

"_Ralsei will never be able to handle actual combat at this rate."_

He felt a sharp pain in his soul. Part of him wished it would shatter. He tried to force back the tears welling up in his eyes. Slowly, deliberately, he flipped to Gaster's most recent note, dated today.

"_I'm heading back to the dark fountain to try another synthesis. Hopefully this one will satisfy the king so I don't have to deal with him anymore. Same process as last time, so I'm just hoping the subject's personality isn't predetermined._

"_Subject seven will be designated 'Sariel'._

"_I wonder what will become of Ralsei. He has incredible talent for magic, but the king very much resents him. I'm hoping for the best, but time will tell, I guess."_

Another wave of intense pain seized Ralsei's soul. The reality of the situation came crashing down upon him. He was a failure. He was unwanted. He was going to be replaced. What horrible fate awaited him then?

He stood, choking back sobs. His eyes drifted toward the door. He wanted nothing more than to leave this place. Who would miss him? He was little more than a failed science experiment. He barely even qualified as a person.

He threw the door open and took off running, hot tears streaming down his face. He wasn't sure where he would go, but he didn't care. He just wanted to leave.

* * *

Three years later

Ralsei returned to find Castle Town occupied by the king's army. He could only look on in horror. When did this happen? He was only gone for a few hours.

He heard a deep, thunderous voice shouting orders. In unison, the soldiers began to march, escorting the town's citizens as prisoners. Ralsei quickly hid behind a nearby rock, staying low to avoid detection.

'_What are they doing?_' he wondered.

He glanced back and forth, and caught sight of a familiar figure: Gaster. Ralsei felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. He watched as a towering, ironclad soldier approached and knelt before Gaster.

"Seriously, stop doing that," he said.

"My apologies, sir," the soldier said as he stood. "If I may ask, why do you dislike it when I kneel?"

"It's just... weird. Like when you used to call me 'master'." Gaster shuddered a bit. "So, did you find Ralsei?"

Ralsei felt his heart quicken.

"No sign of him," the soldier replied. "I have ordered my men to take the town's citizens in for questioning."

"Seems a little extreme, but alright." Gaster glanced at the castle. "I'm surprised he wasn't here. I figured he'd gravitate toward the fountain."

"It matters not. I will hunt him where he hides."

"Easy there, blood knight."

The soldier sneered. "Sir, why do you need Ralsei? He failed in his purpose. He is a deserter, nothing more. What use could you have of him?"

Gaster hesitated before replying. "I need to correct a mistake I made. It doesn't concern you, I'm afraid."

The soldier nodded, "Very well. Shall we?"

The two departed, following the king's army out of Castle Town. Ralsei's gaze fixated on the soldier. This must've been the infamous Knight he had heard about. His replacement.

He felt jealous of the Knight. This man was everything he failed to be. Everything he would never be. His better.

For the first time in his life, Ralsei felt genuine hatred. He wanted to destroy this man, this monument to his failure. But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to attack. He couldn't muster up the willpower. He sank to the ground.

He was a failure. He had no form of companionship. He lacked a sense of belonging. What purpose did he have in this world?

* * *

Present day

"That's my story," Ralsei stated. "That's all I know."

"That's, uh... yeah." Susie was at a loss for words.

"Ralsei, I..." Kris attempted to offer his sympathies, "I don't know what to say."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Ralsei hung his head. "I just... I couldn't..."

"Ralsei, it's okay. That can't be easy to deal with."

He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact. "I... I understand if you don't want me around anymore."

Noelle sat beside Ralsei. "Why would we want you to leave?"

"I'm not the person I made you think I was." His grip on his hat tightened. "I'm not even a person... I'm just a failed science experiment..." Tears fell from his face, staining his glasses.

"Ralsei, you know that's not true," Kris placed a hand on Ralsei's shoulder. Ralsei immediately threw his arms around Kris, burying his face in his shoulder. Kris returned the embrace without hesitation.

"The Knight was right about me..." Ralsei whimpered.

"No he wasn't," Kris whispered, affectionately caressing Ralsei's head. "You're just as much of a person as the rest of us."

"He's right, Ralsei," Noelle said, hugging him as well. "You can't think that way."

Susie knelt down beside him. "I'm gonna be honest, I don't think this really changes too much."

"...huh?" Ralsei sniffled.

"Ralsei, that doesn't have to define you," Kris said. "You're still the same person we became friends with. You're still our friend, and we're still yours. That's never gonna change, I promise."

Ralsei pulled away, wiping his eyes. "You... you really don't care about that...?"

"Not at all," Kris flashed a smile. "We know it's hard on you, and we'll help you through it, but our opinion of you hasn't changed. We really care about you, Ralsei. You're a great friend, and we love having you around."

"You're not a failure," Noelle added. "You just weren't supposed to be a warrior. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Exactly," Susie agreed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, dude."

"If I'm not hard on myself, who else will be?" Ralsei asked.

"Why does anyone have to be hard on you?" Kris countered. "Why do you have to punish yourself?"

"I... never thought about it that way..."

"Ralsei, you're always telling me not to make things harder on myself than they need to be. Please, take your own advice. I hate to see you like this. We all do. I promise, you'll never have to deal with this alone again."

Ralsei looked to Noelle and Susie, then back to Kris. He and Kris shared another embrace.

"Thank you, so much..." Ralsei mumbled. "I don't know what I'd do without you..."

"Well, you'll never have to find out," Susie grinned.

After a few moments, the two pulled away from each other ever so slightly. Kris found himself enamored by Ralsei; just looking at him was enough to bring a smile to his face. He was kind and caring, he was unbearably adorable, and he had such beautiful eyes...

Kris shook himself from his thoughts, suddenly remembering Susie and Noelle's presence. He muttered, "It's getting late. We should probably get some rest."

"That seems like a good idea," Ralsei said. "I'm exhausted."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Ralsei smiled, "Yeah, I think I'll be fine."

"Good."

He glanced at his companions, sighing happily. He hadn't completely come to terms with what he was, but he certainly felt better about himself.

* * *

"_Compassion. Your heart beats with compassion."_

_-Notorious Collector Vest description (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_


	17. Forging Ahead

Chapter 17: Forging Ahead

"_You don't look at where you're going, you look at where your next step is gonna be, you know?"_

_-Northernlion_

* * *

The night sky was dark, and the moon shone bright overhead. Kris remained awake. He sat upright, his eyes fixated on Ralsei. He was cocooned in his scarf, his hat draped over his face. Kris briefly wondered how he could sleep like that.

Sadness filled his heart. Ever since Ralsei had shared his tale, he had only come to care for him even more. Hearing him talk about himself as if he were undeserving of their companionship broke his heart. If anyone deserved it, it was Ralsei.

Slowly, Kris reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. He hesitated, and stopped himself. He deemed it best not to wake him. He looked down at him, smiling fondly. So what if he was made in a lab? He loved him all the same.

'_Loved,_' he repeated the word to himself. It was such a strong word, but... strangely accurate.

"Admiring the love of your life?" Susie's voice startled him.

"What? No," he said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

She chuckled, "Right. That's what people say when they're in love, you know."

"It's also what people say when they're not in love."

"C'mon, just admit it. You know you like him."

He was silent for a second. He shook his head. "What are doing awake anyway?"

She shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Still processing the whole 'lab grown' thing."

"Yeah, me too." He glanced over at Ralsei. "I feel so bad for him..."

She nodded in agreement.

"Honestly," he continued, "I don't really feel any different about him."

"Yeah, me neither. He's still the same person to me. As long as he doesn't stab us in the back, I'll be glad to have him around."

"Come on, that'd never happen."

"I know. I'm just saying, that's what it'd take to change my opinion."

"What are you two talking about...?" Noelle tiredly mumbled as she sat up.

"Ralsei," Kris said.

"Have you reached a verdict on him yet?" Susie asked.

"About his creation, you mean?" Noelle rubbed her eyes. "It hasn't changed the way I feel about him. He's still our friend."

"So we're in agreement then," Kris stated. "Things basically haven't changed, but hopefully, Ralsei will start to feel better about himself soon."

"Yeah. Hopefully..." she sighed sadly.

"I think he'll be okay," Susie said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We've got his back, and he knows it. I honestly think that's enough."

"You sure about that?" Kris questioned.

"Well, it sounded to me like he was afraid that we'd hate him or something. But he knows we don't, so doesn't that solve his biggest problem?"

"So you think just knowing he's accepted is enough to make him feel better?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." He glanced at Ralsei again. "I hope you're right."

"And if I'm not?"

"Then I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help him through this. He deserves to be happy."

"Hell yeah, brother."

Hidden under his hat, Ralsei smiled. He could barely suppress the urge to wake up and hug them. Hearing their words didn't solve all of his problems, but it certainly made them easier to deal with.

Words could not describe how grateful he was.

* * *

The next day...

The four had ventured forth since the sun rose. They had agreed not to discuss the events that transpired last night.

"I'm telling you, spiders are the absolute worst," Kris insisted. "They're nightmare demons forged in the lowest depths of hell."

"Wait, what about that spider lady that runs the bakery?" Noelle questioned.

"Her, I can deal with. I can't stand the actual spiders. I don't know why, I just hate the way they move."

"Maybe you were eaten by spiders in a past life," Susie commented.

"You know, I could've lived without that image."

"Well, now you don't have to." She turned, "How about you, Ralsei? What kinda things are you afraid of?"

"Not much, really," he said. "Maybe Jevil, though?"

"Yeah, I'm right there with you."

Ralsei suddenly stopped when something in the sky caught his eye. "What is that?"

It was a formless, writhing mass of shapes, bright red in color. It ebbed and flowed, never taking on a recognizable form. It looked as if a hole were torn in the sky.

"It looks like a texture failed to load," Susie noted.

Kris narrowed his eyes in anger. "Got anything to say, Chara?"

"_I know what you're thinking, but I don't even know what that is,"_ she replied.

"Sure you don't."

"_I'm serious. Come on, Kris. You know I'd be the first to take credit for something like this."_

"Right."

"So, what's the word?" Susie asked.

"She says she didn't do it, so I've got no idea."

"I've never heard of anything like this before," Ralsei said. "Color wise, it matches her, but if she didn't do it..."

He trailed off when another aberration tore its way into the sky. It slowly expanded in the direction of the first, and the two converged on each other, combining into a single, larger anomaly.

"That seems like a bad thing," Kris commented.

"Yeah," Susie agreed, "we should probably move faster."

"We've got a bit of a problem, though." Kris pulled out his map. "The quickest way to the royal scientist is right through the Seventh Region. You know, the madness fields."

Susie watched as yet another aberration formed in the sky, then glanced down at Kris. "Then I guess we're going through the madness fields. Just don't eat the plant life."

"Right. There's a town on the way, too. We can stock up there."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go."

Overhead, the sky was torn by rapidly spreading aberrations.

* * *

"Howdy, pardners," a masked man wearing a comically oversized cowboy hat greeted them. "Where are y'all going all suited for war like that?"

"We're heading into the Seventh Region," Kris explained, "and we were hoping to pick up some supplies while we're here."

"What in the blue blazes are y'all planning on doing there?"

"We've got some business to take care of on the other side, and we don't have a lot of time to get there."

"Alrighty then," the man adjusted his hat, keeping himself cloaked in its shadow. "I say y'all got a death wish, but I'm not gonna stop ya. Just don't bring back any of that insanity disease, you hear?"

"We'll be as careful as we can. Can you tell us where the store is?"

"Follow me," the man beckoned them. They obliged.

They briefly took in the sights around them. There were rows upon rows of old fashioned wooden buildings, surprisingly well maintained. Most of the town's residents were clad in stereotypical cowboy getup, with absurdly large hats that cast dark shadows. Large creatures that resembled horses meandered through the streets, seemingly of their own accord.

"What kinda place is this, now?" Susie wondered.

The man turned to face her, "This here's Backwater, finest town this side of the lone river. Don't even waste your time with the other side."

"Why not?"

"Well, we kinda have a passive aggressive rivalry with that place."

"Why, what happened?" Noelle asked.

"I don't follow."

"Why do you have a passive aggressive rivalry?"

"...That's a good question, miss. So I'm not gonna answer it."

Before she could say anything else, he stopped in front of a large building and gestured for them to enter.

"Here you go," he said. "Best of luck on your suicide mission, pardners." He walked away.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Kris rolled his eyes.

* * *

"I will ask you for the fourth time," Sariel spoke slowly. "Which direction did the lightners go?"

"Listen, pardner," the man replied, "I don't even know what a lightner looks like. I thought I done made that clear."

Sariel buried his face in his hands, growling in annoyance. He had spent the past thirty minutes talking to this man, and he had derived next to nothing from their conversation. He would go so far as to say he gained negative value from this man.

"Allow me to be more specific," Sariel drawled. "A human was travelling with them. One of them was wearing a green cloak. Does that sound familiar?"

"Well, now that you mention it, that does kinda ring a bell." The man looked off into the distance, "Although I'd say it was more of a robe. Or maybe a poncho. That hat looked kinda funny, though. Shoulda been an old fashioned ten gallon if you ask me."

Sariel rubbed his temples, nearly at his wit's end. "No one asked you. _Which direction did they go?_"

"Hm? Oh, they went thataway," he pointed to the east. "Said they had some business to take care of. Not sure what, though."

"Directly through the Seventh Region...? Have they gone mad?"

"Well, if they haven't, they probably will soon enough."

"Your assistance is somewhat appreciated," Sariel immediately set off to the east.

Whatever awaited, it almost seemed more appealing than wasting more time in this town.


	18. The Seventh Region

Chapter 18: The Seventh Region

"_Madness, our old friend!"_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

The sky was black, with dark storm clouds blocking out any sort of light. The fields ahead were shrouded in darkness. Rain poured down endlessly. The Seventh Region was truly a desolate place.

"Well, this sucks," Kris complained. "I hate the rain."

"I'd say rain's the least of our problems here," Susie said.

"Yeah. Ralsei, do you know anything about this insanity plague?"

"Gaster talked about it once or twice," Ralsei replied. "I think he said it spread through the water. I think that might be the only way to catch it, but I can't remember."

"Might as well play it safe, then. Just stay away from everyone."

Further ahead, they came across an old, decrepit sign. It was overgrown with dark creeping vines, which were dotted with bizarre flowers, coal black in color. The sign itself was unreadable.

"I've never seen a flower like that before," Noelle commented, leaning closer. Its petals were twisted, stretching out in all directions. They swelled and contracted rhythmically, vaguely resembling a beating heart.

"I'd stay away from it if I were you," Kris advised. "Let's keep going."

They carried on through the plains. Large patches of vines and black flowers were strewn about, serving as the landscape's sole distinguishing features. They steadily grew denser over time. There were very few signs of civilization, aside from a few dilapidated structures, their purpose unknowable.

"This place creeps me out," Noelle said.

"Yeah, me too," Susie agreed. "Where the hell is everyone? I thought we'd see someone by now."

"Why would you want to see anyone if they're all insane?" Kris asked.

"I don't know. Sometimes, it's creepier when there's nothing at all."

"Well, I wouldn't say there's nothing. Take a look at all the eldritch demon plants."

"Yeah, it's really just making me uncomfortable. I wanna get the hell away from here."

"Me too." He turned to Ralsei, "Do you remember where the royal scientist's lab is?"

He thought for a moment before answering, "Not really. It's been so long since I've been there... Isn't it marked on your map?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping you'd know a quicker way." Kris studied the map for a second. "Looks like we could cut through this city here."

"Then let's hurry up," Susie said. "I think that flower just blinked at me."

They kept walking. Over time, the ruined structures slowly gave way to surprisingly well maintained ones. They went from barely recognizable husks to gleaming white towers, standing proudly against the dark sky. They were pristine, as if they were maintained to this day.

Curiously, some buildings were left in a state of disrepair, seemingly chosen arbitrarily. They were thoroughly overgrown with snaking vines and pulsing flowers, while the other structures were left untouched. The vines seemed to have deliberately plotted a path around them.

"_Kris, think about this for a moment,"_ Chara's ghostly voice wormed its way into Kris' mind. _"You're walking through a quarantine zone with an insanity plague just to get rid of me. Do you really think this is worth it?"_

"Yep."

"_You're not afraid of catching the plague yourself?"_

"Eh, a little. As long as it isn't airborne, we'll be fine."

"_You really believe the royal scientist will help you?"_

"There's no doubt in my mind that this could possibly work. If he won't help, we'll find a way to convince him."

"_Or I could just rip your soul out and stomp it to dust."_

"I'd prefer if you didn't."

Chara sighed in annoyance, then went silent. Kris was thankful.

He looked around. They were surrounded by extravagant white buildings, all of which were immaculate. Intricate patterns were carved into their walls. They had a strange sort of beauty to them. The ground was paved with pure marble, engraved with similar patterns.

"This place doesn't look like a plagueland to me," Noelle said. "Maybe it hasn't spread here?"

"It's been years," Kris countered. "If it spread through the water, it has to have gotten here by now, right?"

"Yeah, probably. But everything is so beautiful here. It really doesn't look like everyone here went insane..."

"Maybe it's a different kind of insanity than what we're thinking of," Ralsei guessed. "Maybe it made everyone become obsessed with the city's upkeep, to the point that they couldn't even live their lives..."

"Maybe," Noelle sighed. This city was saddening to behold. It was such a majestic place, but no one could truly appreciate its beauty.

They stopped when a strange woman appeared before them. She resembled a human to an unsettling degree. She wore a flowing red dress that trailed on the ground behind her. A large, unnerving smile was plastered on her face, and her teeth were unnaturally white.

"Hello, visitors. Welcome to Downpour, your new home!" she threw her arms out in a presenting fashion.

"'New home?'" Kris echoed, visibly confused. "No, you don't understand. We're just passing through."

"Nonsense! Please, let me show you around. I'm sure you'll love it!" Her tone was oddly enthusiastic.

"Maybe some other time. We really can't stick around."

"Oh, it'll only take a few moments. Please, follow me."

"Hey, are you even listening?" Susie interjected. "We don't have time for your tour."

"I'm afraid it's not optional." She turned and beckoned them. "I'm sure you'll assimilate easily."

"Again, we're not going to stay here," Kris insisted.

The woman ignored him, "You can probably tell, but Downpour was named after the eternal rainfall that sweeps the Seventh Region. The rain serves as our primary water source." She began to walk through the city, her eyes trained on the four. Unsure of what to do, they hesitantly followed her.

They looked around. The city was bustling. The streets were filled with people, all of whom seemed to be perfectly sane. Oddly, they were all divided into groups of twelve or so individuals.

"It doesn't look like there was an insanity plague here," Noelle whispered to Susie.

"Yeah, but something feels... off."

The woman continued her unsolicited tour, "Downpour was built on top of a large field of pure marble, which formed the streets. The founders hoped to use marble to make the buildings as well, but when they ran out of marble, they used painted stone instead."

"Yeah, that's nice," Susie waved her hand dismissively. "Listen, we really need to see the royal scientist. What's the quickest way to get to him?"

"Oh, but there's so much more to the city! It's a beautiful place, and I'm sure you'll want to see it."

"We'd love to look around," Ralsei said, "but it's an important matter. We really don't have time."

Contempt flashed across the woman's face for a brief moment, but her smile quickly returned. "I understand. But before you go, I want to show you something. It'll only take a minute, I promise."

"It's not optional, is it?" Susie already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid not."

"Didn't see that one coming. What is it?"

She beckoned them, and they followed her to a large, majestic fountain at the center of a crossroads. At the fountain's center was a marble statue of a blooming flower. The water in the fountain had a greenish tint.

"This was the city's first rainwater reservoir," the woman explained. "It was stylized into a fountain years ago, but the water is still drinkable."

She produced a metal cup seemingly from nowhere, and proceeded to fill it with water from the fountain. She inhaled its aroma, and sighed blissfully.

"Try it!" she offered it to Kris.

He stared at her blankly. "I think I'm gonna pass."

"Please, I insist. It's wonderfully refreshing!"

"It doesn't look safe to drink to me..."

"Of course it's safe to drink!" Without hesitation, she drank deeply, emptying the cup in seconds. Her smile did not falter. She refilled the cup and offered it to them.

"Please, drink! All of you!"

"No thanks, we brought our own water," Noelle said.

"No water could be as enjoyable as this." Her voice took on a commanding tone, "Drink."

"Why are you being weird about this?" Susie questioned. "We don't want your water."

The woman glowered. "We wish for you to assimilate. Drink the water, travelers."

"And what if we don't?" Susie bared her teeth.

"You won't be allowed to leave."

"Like you're gonna stop us?" She stepped toward the woman.

"We're more capable than you think."

"Well, we'll see how capable you are when I bite your face off."

"Susie, calm down," Kris held her back. "Let's just go."

"You will not leave the city limits," the woman said as they walked away.

The four forced their way through a large crowd that had gathered. There was not a single person that wasn't glaring at them.

"Alright, there's something seriously wrong with this place," Kris said.

"Brilliant deduction there," Susie remarked.

He ignored her. "What's all this talk about assimilating? Didn't we make it clear we weren't staying?"

Ralsei nodded. "They don't seem to care."

"You're telling me. You think there's anything we can do to help these people?"

"I wouldn't even know where to begin. I don't know anything about curing diseases..."

"Shouldn't we work on stopping Chara first?" Noelle suggested.

"I'm with her," Susie said. "We can come back here later."

Kris conceded, "Yeah, you're right. One thing at a time."

They walked through the rain-swept streets. Downpour's citizens whispered to them, all of them with the same tone of calm contempt.

"Assimilate," they urged. "Assimilate."

* * *

Sariel marched through the pouring rain, his sword in hand. He wondered how the Fun Gang had convinced themselves this venture was worth undertaking. Were they truly this desperate?

He came to a halt when a woman in a flowing red dress appeared before him. Her face was contorted in rage.

"We remember you, soldier," she said, her voice filled with venom.

"I cannot say the same, ma'am," he replied. "I am hunting enemies of the kingdom. I pursued them into this city."

"We don't help outsiders, especially one such as you."

"I have no quarrel with you. Stand aside."

"You are anathema to our ideals. We despise you."

"Then aid me in concluding my business here. The sooner I attend to my duties, the sooner I shall leave."

"If you want our help..." She walked to the fountain and returned with a cup filled with its greenish water.

"...then drink this. All will be forgiven then."

Sariel took the cup and examined its contents. He promptly poured it onto the ground before shoving the cup back into the woman's hands.

"Nevermind," he sighed. "I will handle this matter myself."

He marched through the city. He ignored the citizens' rage-fueled shouting. He had a far more important matter to attend to.

After forcing his way through a large crowd, he caught sight of the Fun Gang. They were walking slowly, their backs turned to him.

Readying his sword, he charged after them.


	19. Gentle Persuasion

Chapter 19: Gentle Persuasion

"_The opportunity of a lifetime."_

_-Last Wish raid description (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_

* * *

Sariel quickly halted his advance, and took a moment to reconsider the situation. Surely, that strange woman had attempted to coerce them into assimilating, and surely they had refused. There was no doubt in his mind that they were all enemies to the townspeople.

If that were the case, perhaps he could negotiate with them. Perhaps he could escort them to the lab himself, keeping them under his watch. He would be able to fulfill his goal and destroy the Demon, under the guise of assisting them on their quest.

It was unlikely to succeed, but it was worth an attempt.

"Wait, heroes," he called to them as he sheathed his sword. They jumped a bit as they turned. Kris and Susie immediately reached for their weapons.

"Just can't wait to get your ass kicked again, huh?" Susie challenged.

"If you could suppress your violent tendencies for a moment, I would like to negotiate."

"You're one to talk about violence," Kris maintained a defensive stance. "Why should we listen to you?"

"Because I present your best chance at leaving this city with your lives." He approached slowly. "Allow me to present my argument."

Kris lowered his sword slightly. "What do you guys think?"

"Hell no," Susie growled.

"I think it's worth hearing his offer, at least," Noelle said.

"Wait, seriously? You know how many times he tried to kill us, right?"

"He'll probably attack us if we say no. Isn't it worth the chance to get out of this without fighting?"

Susie looked back and forth between Sariel and Noelle. "I guess so," she hesitantly conceded.

"What about you, Ralsei?" Kris asked.

He stared at Sariel for a moment, then nodded silently.

Slowly, Kris lowered his sword. "Alright. Make your case."

Sariel spoke, "Surely, you are aware that Downpour's citizens do not intend to let us leave. They wish for us to assimilate."

"Yeah, they're being real weird about it," Susie said.

"They will stop at nothing to fulfill that goal. For that reason, I am offering my assistance."

Kris blinked. "You're offering to help us?"

"At the moment, we share a mutual goal: we must leave this city. By working together, we can achieve that goal. I will escort you to the royal scientist's laboratory when we are beyond the city limits."

Susie scoffed, "So we're supposed to blindly follow you out of this place and let you conveniently bring us to the royal scientist? What kinda idiots do you think we are?"

"Yeah, sounds a little too good to be true," Kris agreed.

"Do not be so shortsighted," Sariel urged. "You will not make it out of the city without my assistance."

"We'll figure something out, and we won't need your help to do it."

'_Well, this was not unexpected,_' Sariel thought.

He stepped toward Kris, glaring down at him. "You reject my offer, then?"

Kris stared up in defiance. "Yeah, we do."

Sariel's fist connected with Kris' face, and he was thrown to the ground. Sariel projected a barrier with one hand, and reached for his sword with the other.

"Then we shall battle again," he said. He did not flinch as Susie assaulted his barrier.

"Great," Susie grinned madly. "I still need to punch a few of your teeth out for Kris!"

Channeling his barrier's energy, he forced her back. "I will hold nothing back this time."

"Then stop talking and put 'em up!"

"Gladly."

The two clashed, and she was overpowered when he released a blast of flames from his free hand. He followed up by kicking her square in the chest. She tumbled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Noelle fired off a shot that hit Sariel in the shoulder. In one fluid motion, he plucked it out and swept her off her feet with a burst of magic. Ralsei rained projectiles down on him, but he paid them little mind as he blasted Ralsei to the ground as well.

Sariel began to heal himself, but was interrupted by Kris. The two traded blows for a moment, until Sariel slashed him on the side and threw him into Susie. He continued healing as the two fell into a heap.

Ralsei and Noelle helped them recover, and they both charged at Sariel. He defended against Susie's attacks with a barrier, while deflecting Kris' attacks with his sword. His barrier quickly began to break, and so he used it as a weapon to knock Susie back. He quickly swung his fist into Kris' face, sending him stumbling back.

He turned to face Susie, who was currently bringing her weapon down upon him. He projected a barrier to block the attack, sheathed his sword, and grabbed her weapon. When she pulled back, he dropped the barrier and violently tore the weapon from her grasp, casting it aside.

A crossbow bolt struck Sariel in the back as Susie punched him in the face. Ignoring the pain, he fought her off and tripped her with a leg sweep. He pinned her beneath his boot and slammed his fist into the back of her head, simultaneously discharging a magical impulse. She was sent face first into the ground with enough force to crack the marble road.

Kris rushed at Sariel, striking him repeatedly. Raising a barrier for protection, he pulled the crossbow bolt from his back, wincing slightly as it came free. After casting a quick healing spell, he reached for his sword and fought back.

He parried a blow from Kris and pushed him back with a kick. Kris retaliated with an advancing thrust. Sariel deflected the attack, grabbed him by the shoulder, and ran him through. He pulled his sword free, accompanied by a spray of blood.

Kris' sword slipped from his hand as he collapsed to the ground, gasping weakly. He was consumed with unbearable agony; every breath he took sent waves of intense pain through his body.

"Kris, no!" Ralsei looked on in horror.

"You'll pay for that, you bastard," Susie threatened, blood dripping from her mouth.

Sariel narrowed his eyes. For a split second, a golden light enveloped Kris. His pain eased ever so slightly, but he still found himself unable to stand.

"He will live so long as I will it," Sariel stated, planting his foot on Kris' back. "You will cooperate with me or he will die here."

"You're bluffing," Susie scowled.

His sword hovered over Kris. "I do not make threats if I am unprepared to follow through."

"I thought you had to take us alive," Noelle said.

"Should circumstances force my hand, I am certain Doctor Gaster will understand."

Ralsei pulled Susie aside and whispered to her, "He's not bluffing. He'll kill him if we don't listen to him."

"He's just gonna kill him anyway," she countered. "The only difference will be when he does it."

"We can't just let Kris die," Noelle insisted. "We have to do something!"

"I think we can take him," Susie cracked her knuckles.

"Susie, he has a sword to his neck," Ralsei said. "If you try to fight, he'll kill him."

"You got a better idea?"

Ralsei lowered his voice, "Yes, actually. Just give the Knight what he wants."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I have a plan, I promise. Just trust me." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

She glanced at Noelle, who hesitated for a moment, but nodded.

Susie sighed and glared at Sariel. "Fine, you win."

"No, don't listen to him..." Kris wheezed, letting out a pained cough.

"Silence," Sariel commanded, casting a pacification spell. Kris slipped into unconsciousness almost immediately.

Sariel returned Susie's glare. "You understand that I demand your complete compliance. Take a single step out of line, and I will kill your friend."

"We understand," Noelle begrudgingly nodded.

"I will be watching you closely." Sariel threw Kris' unconscious body over his shoulder. "Keep your weapons close. You may need them as we leave the city."

"You really trust us not to stab you in the back?" Susie questioned.

"Of course not. You will surrender your weapons to me when we are outside the city limits. I will not take my eyes off of you."

"Great," she rolled her eyes as she reclaimed her halberd.

Ralsei whispered to her, "Thank you. I know what I'm doing, I promise."

"Y'know, the more you say that, the more you make me doubt it." She looked into his eyes. "Let me tell you, you better be 100% about this."

"I am."

She nodded, then turned to Sariel. "Alright, world conqueror. Lead the way."

* * *

They left Downpour with surprisingly little incident. Sariel and Susie's threats of violence were heeded after some deliberation, and they quickly made their way to the royal scientist's lab.

"Well, we made it here," Susie said in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood.

"You're not wrong," Noelle grinned halfheartedly.

Sariel swung the door open and ushered the three into the lab. The place was in a state of meticulous upkeep. The walls and floor were gray, and were cleaned to the point of shining. At a wooden desk, there sat a man clothed in a long, black overcoat.

"Oh, welcome back, Sariel," he said as he stood. "Take a look. I've finally organized my paperwork!" His enthusiasm faded a bit, "And you brought prisoners."

"Yes, sir," Sariel replied, bowing his head. "The Fun Gang is in my custody, as per your orders. We are ready to proceed."

The man - a skeleton - nodded. "Good work, Sariel." He beckoned him, and proceeded toward a wooden door.

"You're Gaster, right?" Noelle asked.

"That's correct," Gaster said. "I'm guessing Ralsei told you my name?"

"More than just that, actually."

"I see." He lowered his head slightly.

He directed the four into a room containing several modestly sized holding cells. Sariel wasted no time in tossing Kris into one, and ushering Susie and Noelle into another. Gaster shut the doors himself.

"What kinda scientist needs prison cells?" Susie asked.

"They came with the lab," Gaster answered. "They're supposed to hold subjects that could get violent."

"Oh, I'm about to get real violent."

"Good thing I have the cells, then."

"What shall I do with Ralsei?" Sariel awaited orders.

"Bring him into the other room." Gaster turned to everyone else. "The rest of you will wait here. I'll get to you all soon enough."

He turned to leave, but stopped by Kris' cell. He glanced at Kris, who was slumped against the wall, producing no sound aside from his labored breathing.

Gaster sighed. "I'm sorry about this, human. I..." He lowered his head in shame. "I really am..."

He turned and left, unable to face him. He took a deep breath to regain his composure before taking a seat at his desk.

"It's been a while, Ralsei," he said, his tone friendly.

Ralsei silently regarded him with a look of either sadness or contempt.

"Please, pull up a chair. I want to talk to you."

Sariel took a chair and placed it in front of the desk. Ralsei reluctantly sat down. Dozens of thoughts stirred in his head.

For the first time in years, he was face to face with his creator, and he had no idea how to feel.


	20. Old Wounds

Chapter 20: Old Wounds

"_Sit down. We need to talk."_

_-Bad News description (Destiny 2)_

* * *

Ralsei simply stared at Gaster, his face hidden in shadow. He hadn't said a word. It was strange to him. He had expected this encounter, even planned for it, but now that they were face to face, he found it difficult to speak.

"Ralsei, please," Gaster broke the silence. "There's a lot I have to tell you, and I'm sure you have a lot to tell me. Talk to me."

Ralsei looked him in the eye. "Why didn't you tell me I was artificial? Why did I have to find that out myself?"

Gaster's shoulders slumped. "Well, initially... I was worried that your soul wouldn't be able to handle a revelation like that so soon after your creation. I was afraid it would shatter."

"And after that? I found out over two years later. You could've told me."

"I know. There's no excuse for not telling you. There's nothing I can say in my defense."

Ralsei sighed and removed his hat, setting it on the desk. His expression was stern, but carried an air of sadness.

He continued, "Why did you put so much effort into me if you knew I wasn't a fighter? Why didn't you just start over sooner?"

"Well, firstly, it wasn't easy to synthesize a stable soul. I had to use a piece of my own soul just to make sure you didn't end up like the other subjects. The king wanted to get his money's worth.

"Secondly... well, I didn't want to give up on you. Artificial or not, you're still a person. It would've been wrong to just cast you aside."

Ralsei shook his head. "Don't act like you cared about me. You always talked about me like I was just an asset, just a means to an end."

"Yeah, in my research notes, where I have to be as objective as possible. I never considered you anything less than a person, Ralsei."

"Right..." He didn't seem convinced.

Gaster leaned closer, "Ralsei, I knew you for years. I literally poured my heart and soul into making you. I cared about you, and I wanted what was best for you. But... I had a job to do."

Ralsei sunk in his chair. "...'Cared'?"

Gaster leaned back. "Well, I still care about you, but... you know, we were talking in past tense."

Ralsei sighed. "Alright, if you cared about me so much, why did you keep trying to make me into a killer? I wanted to be a healer, and you knew that."

"And you know the king wanted a warrior. I tried to convince him, told him how great you'd be at keeping his other soldiers alive, but he wasn't interested. He was dead set on having a world conqueror, someone who could level armies." He gestured to Sariel.

Ralsei nodded in understanding. "Did you really think I could be the soldier he wanted?"

"Um, well..." Gaster nervously rubbed his hands together. "Please don't take this as a personal slight, but... Honestly, it was pretty clear that you weren't cut out for that line of work. That's not the kind of person you are. But that doesn't make you a failure. It just-"

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Sariel interrupted him.

"Um... sure?"

"I disagree with that notion."

"Sariel..."

"Forgive me, sir, but I simply cannot understand your interest in him. He was created with a single purpose in mind, and he failed. Not only that, he abandoned his purpose, with no regard for anyone except himself. He is a deserter, nothing more."

"Sariel, try to see it from his perspective. He was forced into something that goes against his beliefs, and he finds out on his own that he's an artificial construct. Don't you think that warrants even a little sympathy?"

Sariel crossed his arms. "No, I do not. The needs of the kingdom outweigh the needs of a single individual. Dereliction of duty is not something I can forgive, for any reason..." He shot a glare in Ralsei's direction. "...Especially not one as selfish as his."

Gaster stood up. "Can you really blame him for wanting to leave? Learning something like that has to be soul crushing, especially when you remember that everyone was disappointed in him."

"I have no lamentations about who I am. The fact that he is unwilling to accept his purpose is not my concern."

"Sariel, it's not his fault he can't accept who he is."

"Whose fault is it, then?"

"Mine."

Sariel said nothing, made no movements.

"It's my fault he has such a low opinion of himself. It's my fault he felt like the best thing he could do was disappear. Not his."

Sariel remained silent, and took a single step backwards.

Gaster sat at the desk. "Ralsei, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your creation, and I'm sorry I didn't do more for you. You'd be so much better off if I had just talked to you."

His stare drifted away from Ralsei as he continued, "I want you to know I never had any ill intentions for you. I didn't want you to get... deprecated. I wanted what was best for you. I'm just sorry I didn't do more for you."

He leaned back in his chair. "That's all I can say. I don't know if it means much, but..."

"I forgive you." There was no hesitation on Ralsei's part.

Gaster blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? Just like that?"

"I don't like to hold grudges. They don't really do too much good." He gestured to Sariel, "I couldn't even hate him for very long."

He paused for a second. "Besides, it's kinda my fault too. I should've talked to you instead of running away."

Gaster shifted in his chair. "So... are we on good terms?"

Ralsei sighed. "I'm still not happy with who I am... But knowing I wasn't completely unwanted does help. So yes, we're on good terms." He smiled sadly.

Gaster nodded, beginning to smile himself. "I'm glad to hear it."

Ralsei felt like an old wound had just begun to heal. For the first time in a decade, he felt like he was more than a complete failure. Between Gaster's words and his friends' continued support, he finally felt ready to move forward with his life.

'_Speaking of friends..._'

He spoke, "Gaster, I need to talk to you about my friends. Kris, specifically."

"Alright... Which one's Kris?"

"The human. You know, the one who's possessed."

"Right... You want to know what I'm going to do to him."

"I want to know if you can help him."

Gaster sighed. "It's a complicated issue. It'd take time to figure something out, and quite frankly, we're running out of time."

"Couldn't we just..." He hesitated, "...couldn't we just keep him restrained in case Chara takes over again?"

"It's not just that. There's a far greater concern-"

He was cut off when he was seized by a formless mass of shapes. It crept up the length of his arm in the blink of an eye, shifting rapidly. It slowly dissipated over the course of several seconds. Ralsei looked on in concern, knowing full well what was happening.

Gaster took a minute to steady himself when he recovered. "That would be that greater concern. Picture that, but spanning the entire dark world. And probably the light world, too."

"Wait, why the world? Wouldn't that only happen to her?"

"She doesn't have a physical body like I do. The timeline's rejecting her, but since she's possessing your friend, it doesn't know what to do, so the world's basically tearing itself apart."

"We do not have time to seek an alternate solution," Sariel stated. "For the sake of the world, the human must die."

Gaster lowered his head. "I'm sorry. If things weren't so bad already, I'm sure I'd be able to figure something out."

"We still have time," Ralsei insisted. "I know you can do something for him. You made living beings out of nothing. How much harder can this be?"

"Separating a soul from its host is an entirely different matter from synthesizing one. I wouldn't even know how to begin."

"It's not as complicated as you think." He grimaced. "You really just have to reach in and pull it out."

"...Are you sure? How do you know this?"

"Chara made Kris tear his soul out. I watched it happen."

"I can confirm, sir," Sariel added.

"Wait, what?"

"It's really that simple...?" Gaster mused. "Wait, how did he live?"

"It didn't even leave a wound. I don't know why."

"Well, there's the difficulty, then. How am I going to find a way to pull this off..."

"Sir, are you genuinely considering this?" Sariel was surprised.

"Yes, actually. Don't you think it would be better if the human didn't have to die?"

"Of course I do, but time is short. Even now, the sky is torn by aberrations. It will not be long before the world grows unstable." He stepped forward to emphasize his statement, "We must act immediately, sir."

"We have to try to help him," Ralsei retorted. "Killing isn't always the answer, Sariel."

"Perhaps it is not the only answer, but it is the simplest, and it poses the greatest chance of success. We cannot afford to throw dice with the fate of the world, Ralsei."

"We can save your 'simple solution' as a last resort. If there's any chance we can save Kris, we have to take it."

"He has a point, Sariel," Gaster said. "It doesn't take long to kill someone. We could just call that plan Z."

"Sir, how long do we have before the damage becomes irreversible? Do you truly believe the life of a single human is worth risking the entire dark world?"

"The damage should only persist as long as Chara remains in this timeline. If we lay her to rest, she won't exist as an anomaly anymore. The world won't have to tear itself apart trying to fix things."

Sariel regarded him in silence.

"We could get the best of both worlds. And, like Ralsei said, if all else fails, we still have the original plan."

Ralsei cringed a bit. He hated to even humor the idea of Kris dying.

Sariel glanced back and forth between Gaster and Ralsei. "Permission to speak freely?"

"You don't have to ask, you know."

"You are very easily swayed, sir."

Gaster shrugged.

Sariel sighed, "I have little faith in this plan. However, if you truly believe in your abilities... then I shall tentatively trust your judgment."

"So you're willing to let things play out?"

"If the situation becomes untenable, I will not hesitate to kill the human. But until then, I will stay my hand."

Ralsei smiled. "Thank you, both of you."

Sariel simply nodded.

"I'm just glad I can actually help your friend," Gaster said. "If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have seen any other options, so thank you."

"I just don't want anything to happen to Kris. I l-" he stopped himself, "He means a lot to me."

"I can tell," Gaster smirked.

He leaned back in his chair, sighing. The feelings of regret and shame that weighed on his mind had eased ever so slightly. He silently thanked Ralsei.

'_Maybe now I can finally do some good for the world._'


	21. New Wounds

Chapter 21: New Wounds

"_Grievous injury, palpable fear..."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Kris remained slumped against the wall of his cell. He hadn't moved at all; it hurt to even breathe. He was somewhat content with his situation, but he feared for his friends' safety.

'_Why would they go along with him?_' he wondered. '_What are they thinking?_'

He had all but resigned himself to his fate. Unless Ralsei had some sort of incredible plan, there was no foreseeable way out of this situation.

"_Oh, don't give up on me now, Kris,"_ Chara chided. _"We still have so much to do."_

"Oh, goddamnit..." He hissed as a wave of pain spread through his body. "Can't you just let me die in peace?"

"_I can't let you die alone, can I?"_

"Hey, don't let me stop you."

"_I'm with you to the bitter end, partner."_ If she could, she would've grinned.

"Lucky me." Slowly, he laid on his side, gasping in pain as he did so. "On the bright side... if I die here, you're coming with me."

"_So you're just content to sit here and wait to die?"_

"Pretty much, yeah."

"_All because I'll die with you?"_

"Yep."

"_Hm. Whatever happened to your determination..."_

"Hey, obviously I don't want to die. I'm just saying..." he winced, "...I can die happy knowing you won't hurt anyone."

"_Oh, get over yourself. There's nothing noble about sitting down and dying."_

"I prefer to think of it as a heroic sacrifice."

"_Come on, Kris. Are you really gonna let yourself be killed like this? What about your friends? Don't you care about them?"_

"If you haven't noticed, there's not a whole lot I can do." He coughed weakly. "There's no way I can take the Knight right now. I feel like I'm gonna pass out..."

"_You have a healer, don't you? I'd hate to think what would happen to him if you didn't do anything..."_

"Don't put those thoughts in my head..."

"_Don't tell me you aren't worried about him, Kris. You know about his past. If he was so unwanted then, why would anything have changed?"_

"I'm not listening to this." It was difficult for him to hide his concern.

"_The Knight's been pretty cruel to him. How much do you think he hates him? How about Gaster? He can't be too happy with such a huge project just running away."_

"I'm sure things'll turn out well," he lied.

She ignored him, _"I'm not even sure who he should be more afraid of. On one hand, the Knight doesn't seem like the kind of person to tolerate deserters like Ralsei. On the other hand, who knows how Gaster feels about him. He'll probably be pretty displeased, to say the least."_

"You know, if you're trying to scare me into making a suicidal prison break..." Kris shifted into a kneeling position, struggling not to scream as his body was wracked with agony.

He breathed deep before continuing, "...Let me tell you, you're doing a hell of a job."

"_So how about it, partner? Are you willing to do something other than wait to die?"_

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Even if Ralsei can heal me, how am I gonna beat the Knight?"

"_You can let me handle that. And while you're at it, you can just let me handle everything else."_

"Nice try." Languidly, he dragged himself toward the cell door, each movement hurting more than the last. He stifled a cry of pain as he pulled himself up, leaning against the wall for support.

"Alright, question two," he breathed heavily. "How do you think I'm getting out of here?"

"_...I haven't actually given that much thought."_

"Of course you haven't. Isn't that great..."

"_Come on, there has to be some way out of here. Think."_

Experimentally, he fiddled with the door handle for a bit. The door clicked. He pushed against it, and to his surprise, it swung open without resistance.

"...Alright." He was dumbfounded.

"_He left the door unlocked. I am viscerally angry."_

"Well, at least I don't need some elaborate escape plan now." He took a step forward and nearly collapsed to the ground. It took great effort for him to remain upright.

"Now I just need a battle plan..."

* * *

Susie slammed her fist repeatedly into the cell door, pausing only to give it an occasional kick. It remained closed without so much as a dent.

"Susie, I really don't think you'll be able to break the door down," Noelle said.

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing, so if you've got a better idea, I'd love to hear it."

"I don't think there's anything we can do... I think Ralsei's our only hope."

"I gotta admit, I don't have a whole lot of faith in this plan of his. What's he gonna do on his own, heal himself threateningly?"

"I don't know, but... I have faith in him."

"Well, I guess that's as good as it gets right now." Susie stepped away from the door and sat down beside Noelle.

"What do you think will happen to us?" Noelle asked, shifting a little closer to her.

"You mean if Ralsei's plan doesn't work out? Hell if I know." She threw her arm around her without thinking about it.

"They only want Kris and Ralsei... Do you think they'll just let us go?"

"Maybe. Or, maybe they'll say, 'no witnesses' and just ice us too. Either way, future prospects are looking a little dim."

Noelle leaned into Susie. "Whatever Ralsei's doing, I'm sure it'll work out."

"I wish I was as optimistic as you."

"I wish I was as confident as you."

"Well, you're doing a pretty good job so far. You'll get there."

"Thanks." She smiled.

A silence fell over the two, and Noelle soon found herself lost in her own thoughts. She strongly considered telling Susie how she felt about her. The idea made her nervous, but she also feared the possibility of never getting to tell her. She cursed herself for being so afraid of rejection.

After much deliberation, she came to the conclusion that she'd regret staying silent more than the alternative.

"Susie, I..." she stuttered, "I have to tell you something..."

Before she could say another word, the door swung open and Kris stumbled into their cell, breathing heavily.

"Hey... how's it going?" he gave a crooked grin.

"Kris!" Noelle immediately rushed to help him stay upright.

"Dude, how'd you get out of your cell?" Susie asked.

Kris chuckled, wincing slightly. "He just left the door unlocked."

"Are you serious? We could've just walked out any time?"

"Probably."

Noelle threw Kris' arm over her shoulder. "Okay, what do we do now?"

"It's pretty simple, really. We just fight the Knight, don't die horribly, and convince Gaster to help us out."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Susie tilted her head to the side. "We don't have any weapons."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Well, the bridge is coming up pretty damn fast. We need a plan, brother."

"I don't know, maybe the Knight's still holding our weapons. We might have to steal them back."

"How are we going to do that?" Noelle wondered. "You can barely stand up on your own..."

"I'm kinda banking on Ralsei being able to help. I'm pretty sure all roads to victory lead through him."

Susie nodded and stepped out of the cell. "Well, I don't see much reason to wait around, so let's get on with this trainwreck."

"Have some faith, Susie," Kris followed her, supported by Noelle. "We've got, like, a 3% chance of success!"

"That's a 97% chance of failure."

"So you're telling me there's a chance."

"Only technically."

* * *

"Well," Gaster stood, "if we're going through with this plan, I need to tell everyone. And probably run a few tests."

He walked to the containment area, and let out a shriek of terror when the door was suddenly kicked open, nearly flying off its hinges. He fearfully retreated to his desk.

"We're here to ruin everything!" Susie announced, cracking her knuckles.

Sariel was taken aback. "How did they get out of their..." he sighed, suddenly realizing. He turned to Gaster.

"Sir, did you forget to lock their cell doors?"

"What? Of course not," he shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't forget, I just... didn't remember."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"You are an idiot."

"I know."

Ralsei rushed to Kris' side, casting a healing spell. "Kris, are you okay?"

He shrugged, "All things considered? No, not really."

Susie stomped toward Sariel, murder in her eyes. "Alright, you bastard, I hope you're ready for the reckoning!"

Sariel made no effort to arm himself. "If you can control your rage for the briefest of moments, hellion, the situation has changed. Allow us to explain."

"Why, so you can sucker punch me in the jaw? Not happening."

"Susie, stop," Ralsei pleaded. "They're going to help us now."

"Wait, what?"

"Ralsei brought some new information to light," Gaster explained. "He made a pretty good case for trying to separate Chara from... Kris, non-lethally. If it really is as simple as Ralsei made it seem, we should be able to pull this off."

"So, what, we're just supposed to trust this guy not to stab us in the back?"

"Sounds a little too perfect to me," Kris added.

Sariel removed his mask and placed it on the desk. "I have agreed to spare your life while this plan unfolds. I am a man of my word."

"He won't attack you until the apocalypse actually starts," Gaster said. "That's a promise."

Susie didn't seem convinced. She turned to her companions, "What do you guys think?"

"I think we should give him the benefit of a doubt," Noelle said.

"Honestly, me too," Kris agreed. "He doesn't seem like the bamboozling type."

"We can trust him," Ralsei stated.

Susie turned back to Sariel, "Alright, fine. But I'll be watching you."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "But know this: if the situation dictates it, I will not hesitate to strike you down, human."

"Alright, I guess that makes sense," Kris said.

"Excellent," Gaster clapped his hands together. "Now that everyone's on the same page, I better get to work."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Ralsei asked.

Gaster flipped through his notes as he spoke. "On the science side of things, probably not... But, if you really want to help, you and Sariel could deal with the madness plague in the Seventh Region."

"That's a little out of our wheelhouse, don't you think?" Susie remarked.

"Don't worry, it's not like curing a disease in the traditional sense. It's more of an... extermination job, really."

"How's killing something supposed to cure a madness plague?"

"Well, it's what you'll be killing that matters."

"Alright, what are we gonna be killing, then?" Kris asked.

"The hive mind living under Downpour."

"The what, now?"

"A plant-based lifeform that lives in the tunnels beneath Downpour. It infected the city by releasing spores into the water that make everyone bend to its will. The first step to curing them is killing the hive mind."

"Where did something like that come from?" Noelle asked.

Gaster grimaced. "I'm ashamed to say it was one of my failed attempts to synthesize a soul. It lost its mind and ran off to Downpour. I'm not sure why it's assimilating people into its neural network, but it has to be stopped."

"Why didn't you do anything about it sooner?" Kris questioned.

Sariel entered the conversation, "I once led a team into Downpour to exterminate it. We were met with incredible failure, and my entire team was assimilated. I was forced to cut down former comrades to escape."

"...I see. If you couldn't kill it, what chance to we have?"

"I will admit, you are surprisingly skilled in battle. Perhaps even skilled enough to slay this abomination once and for all. I am willing to lead you into battle."

"Wait a minute, now," Susie chided. "We're not taking orders from you."

"I implore you to reconsider. I did not win fame and glory through combat prowess alone. I commanded a full platoon of the kingdom's greatest soldiers. I am a very capable leader."

"Great, then you'll do great as second in command. We follow Kris' lead."

"Alright, both of you, play nice," Gaster urged. "Kris can keep leading you, but I recommend you at least consider Sariel's suggestions. He's literally engineered to be the perfect warrior."

Susie narrowed her eyes. "Fine."

"Hell, having an actual tactician can't really hurt, can it?" Kris commented.

"Very well," Sariel affixed his mask. "I suppose we are a team now. What are your names?"

"I'm Kris."

"Susie."

"My name's Noelle."

"Understood." Sariel handed each of them their respective weapons. "Shall we depart?"

"Wait a minute," Kris said, "we're gonna need some details about this hive mind."

"I will answer any questions you have on the way. Make any preparations you need, and we will venture forth."

"Well, I think we're as ready as we're gonna be."

"Then let us go."

The five of them set off toward Downpour, a sense of tense camaraderie among them.


	22. Thrill of the Hunt

Chapter 22: Thrill of the Hunt

"_If it bleeds, we can kill it_

"_Now run and hide_

"_If there's blood, better spill it_

"_We're out tonight"_

_-'If It Bleeds We Can Kill It' by Dragony_

* * *

"So what's the deal with this hive mind, anyway?" Kris asked.

"The beast is more horrible than I can describe," Sariel answered. "An incoherent jumble of stems, roots, and malignant flowers, blossoming eternally."

"Charming. But, like, what can it do? What kind of opposition are we up against?"

"Those infected by the creature's spores are thoroughly subjugated. They become little more than mindless thralls."

"Do we really need to worry about that if they spread through the water?" Noelle asked.

"It is more than capable of introducing the spores to your system by force. Such was the fate of my team." Anger flashed in his eyes. "It will be immensely satisfying to finally fell that nightmarish abomination."

"I love a good revenge story," Susie commented.

Sariel continued, "More to its capabilities, it attacks with lashing tendrils and the virtually endless horde of those it has enslaved. The tunnels were infested with that damnable vegetation during our assault, and I can only assume the creature has grown and expanded since then."

"Great," Kris sighed. "Do you have any idea how we kill it?"

"It is vulnerable to fire, though I suppose a sharpened blade will be met with some success as well."

"Sounds simple enough."

They walked on through the pouring rain, the city of Downpour slowly coming into view. Its gleaming white structures shone bright against the black sky. Were the situation different, it could be considered a beautiful sight.

Kris briefly wondered how things had transpired the way they did. It seemed like mere moments ago, Sariel was hellbent on ending his life. But now they were about to fight side by side against an eldritch plant beast that had enthralled an entire city.

'_Funny how things shake out,_' he mused. '_Might as well get to know my new teammate._'

"So, Sariel," he said, "we've got some time to kill. Tell us about yourself."

"Another time, perhaps," he dismissed the idea immediately.

"Come on, we barely know anything about you."

"You know all that you must."

"Debatable," Susie remarked.

"For the time being, I am your ally. What more do you need to know?"

"...I was hoping we could learn about you personally," Noelle said quietly.

"I do not wish to reminisce at this moment. If we are successful in slaying the hive mind, I will answer your questions. In the meantime, let us focus on the task at hand."

"Fair enough," Kris nodded. Sariel's refusal did nothing to ease his feelings of distrust.

They continued toward the city, exchanging no words. The tension was palpable; both parties were wary of each other. Sariel, in particular, almost seemed to be expecting a betrayal.

When they arrived at Downpour, they were greeted by the strange woman in the red dress. She regarded them with great disdain.

"Welcome home, travelers," she said, an obviously artificial friendliness to her voice. "I see you brought the soldier with you."

"We sure did," Susie drawled. "Now get out of our way."

"Are you finally willing to assimilate into our wonderful society?"

"Nah, we're gonna pass."

"Oh, you misunderstood. You don't have the option to decline."

Susie glared down at the woman, "I beg to differ."

The woman returned her glare, "We made the mistake of allowing you to leave once. We won't do it again. Whether you want it or not, this is your home now. It would do you well to simply assimilate."

"We have no interest in joining your ranks," Sariel stated. "If you will excuse us, we will fulfill our duties and be on our way."

"People like you are poisonous to society," the woman hissed. "The best thing you can do is just die."

"...Stand aside." His voice was calm, yet filled with fury.

She stepped closer, "You should have joined us years ago. You could've been saved!"

"I said, stand aside." He shoved her aside, and she fell to the ground. He didn't even glance at her as he walked away. His companions followed closely behind him, ignoring the woman's rage-fueled shouting.

"That damnable creature disgraces the memory of my men with its mere existence," he seethed. "Every word it speaks is an insult."

"I never thought I'd see you so angry," Ralsei commented.

"I have hated this foulness ever since that fateful day. Fifteen of us walked into its chamber, and I alone walked out. I was forced to kill no less than half of them. They were some of my best men, and among my most trusted comrades. That day, I swore that I would send that pestilence to hell myself."

"Sariel, I'm... I'm sorry for your loss," Noelle consoled.

He sighed. "I do not need your sympathy, but... I admit, it is not unappreciated."

There was a brief silence, which Susie broke, "So how do we get to the hive mind, anyway?"

"Stay close. I will lead you to its chamber."

They followed Sariel through the city, navigating through several large crowds of screaming citizens, cursing his name. They seemed to be on the verge of becoming violent.

"So what's gonna happen to the townspeople when we kill this thing?" Kris asked.

"They are victims to the hive mind's will," Sariel explained. "When it dies, its hold on them should be broken, at which point they may live their lives according to their will."

"It can't control them if it's dead," Susie said.

"Precisely."

"Speaking of the townspeople," Ralsei mentioned, "what do we do if they try to stop us?"

"We neutralize them by any means necessary. Non-lethally if possible, lethally if necessary."

"That's... cold," Noelle commented.

"Perhaps. But if the creature forces your hand, you cannot hesitate - it will not."

"Maybe so," Kris interjected, "but let's try to get out of this without any collateral damage."

"Very well."

Sariel led them to a small marble structure with a decrepit wooden door. Above it was a decaying sign that read, 'Maintenance tunnels'. The structure itself was overgrown with creeping vines.

"So this is the place?" Kris asked.

Sariel nodded. "At the heart of these winding tunnels, the creature resides. How poetic it is that we shall slay it in its own place of residence."

"Hell yeah, brother. Let's go!" Susie grabbed the handle and pulled. The door didn't budge. She pulled harder, and still the door remained shut. Grabbing the handle with both hands, she pulled yet again. The door didn't move an inch.

"Damn, that thing's really stuck." She stepped back and readied her halberd.

Sariel simply pushed against the door, and it opened easily. He regarded Susie with a look of confusion and disappointment.

"...Shut up," she said.

"I did not say anything."

She shook her head. "Let's just go."

A terrible howl came from the tunnels, rending the air. It was a territorial cry - a warning. It echoed through the tunnels, reverberating off the walls in a haunting fashion.

"Um... fearless leader?" Susie gestured for Kris to lead the charge.

"Ladies first?" He gestured for her to lead.

"No, I insist. You go first."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna go first."

Sariel rolled his eyes. "_I_ will lead us." He beckoned them, "Stay close."

"Do not take another step," dozens of voices came from behind them. They turned, and found themselves surrounded by the citizens of Downpour. The woman in red stepped up to them.

"You will go no further," she stated, a harsh tone to her voice. "You embody everything we despise, and we will not allow you to defile this place."

Sariel analyzed the crowd. They were surrounded on all sides, with their only escape route being the passage into the tunnels.

He turned to his allies, "Enter the tunnels. Go!" He raised a barrier, and all hell broke loose.

Ralsei projected a barrier to assist Sariel, while everyone else sprinted into the tunnels. The townspeople attacked relentlessly. Even without weapons, the barriers quickly began to crack under their assault.

Sariel and Ralsei slowly retreated toward the tunnels, focusing much of their efforts toward maintaining their defensive line. Ralsei ran down the stairs, with Sariel following closely behind him. He slammed the door shut behind himself, bracing himself against it.

"Find something to barricade the door!" He ordered, struggling to keep it shut.

They quickly scanned the area. The ground was littered with discarded weapons and armor, stained with blood and dust. Kris and Susie gathered several large polearms and quickly slid them through the door's handle. Sariel attempted to fasten them in place by impaling them into the wall.

"It will hold for now," he said. "Move!"

He took off running, and everyone else followed. The walls were crawling with thick patches of vines and pulsing flowers, and dusty, bloodstained armaments littered the floor.

Eventually, Sariel slowed his pace slightly. With his sword in hand, he led his allies through the tunnels.

"This is horrible," Noelle said, referring to the signs of death around her. "What happened here?"

"Mine was not the first team to hunt this creature," Sariel replied solemnly. "They all met a similar fate. Some were assimilated, former comrades turned on one another, and the survivors live as the creature's puppets."

He stopped walking for a moment, taking in the sights around him. "How many of them were mine, I can no longer say. In death, they all seem the same." He shook his head and carried on.

"That's intense..." Susie remarked.

Ralsei's eyes went back and forth between the remains of the fallen. The sight sickened him. All this death, all this suffering, caused by a single entity. Why was it doing this? What did it gain from infesting this city? The only apparent result from it was reducing this place to little more than an ossuary.

It almost made him feel better about himself. At least he hadn't done something like this.

They walked through the winding tunnels until Sariel suddenly came to a halt. Before them, the hallway was blocked by a curtain of twisting vines.

"The beast is close," he said. "I hope you are ready."

"As ready as we'll ever be," Kris said.

"Let me at it," Susie brandished her halberd.

"Then let us advance." With a flick of his wrist, Sariel burned the vines away. The hall gave way to a massive chamber, completely coated in vegetation. At the center, the hive mind hung from the ceiling.

The creature itself was massive. An expansive network of tendrils and roots covered the entire ceiling, rooted deeply in its marble surface. Innumerable writhing tendrils burst forth from the creature's body. Its head resembled a blossoming flower, with fleshy "petals" covered in eye stalks.

"Intruders," the hive mind's voice was distorted, resonating in an unnerving way. "You have come to assimilate."

"Pretty much the opposite, actually," Kris deadpanned.

"We're here to kill you," Susie stated.

The mind produced a disturbing clicking noise. "How disappointingly predictable." Its many eyes fixated on Sariel. "Have you come to join your compatriots, killer?"

He pointed his sword at the mind. "You defile their memory by even speaking of them," he growled. "I will take great pleasure in exterminating you."

"Taking pleasure in the death of another... how disgusting."

"Why are you doing this?" Ralsei questioned. "What do you gain from infecting people?"

The mind regarded him with curiosity. "You... there is something about you. Something... pleasant. Surely you understand my purpose.

"No one knows what you're doing except for you," Susie said.

The mind raised a tendril to shush her. "This land is one ravaged by war. The ruling kingdom is built upon rivers of blood and mountains of corpses. And this one," it pointed a tendril at Sariel, "was the cruel monarch's tool of destruction. He was bred to bring misery and death, as were you, and even I."

"The kingdom is under better rule now," Ralsei retorted. "The new king won't wage any unjust wars."

"What constitutes a just war? At what point can you justify the slaughter of thousands? You cannot. There is no acceptable reason to wage war. Violence and bloodshed of that magnitude must be stopped."

"It would be better if there were no wars," Noelle said, "but how can you stop something like that?"

"It is a rather simple matter. To assimilate is to walk a path of peace. Those who join my neural network no longer wish to harm others. There are no conflicts, no killings, no violence. Only peace. Through assimilation, even the most violent killer can find absolution."

"So your plan is to make everyone into a mindless drone?" Kris found the idea ridiculous.

"Not mindless, just... guided down a better path. Under my rule, there will be no wars, there will be no murders. Everyone will know a better existence."

"Assimilating made people kill each other!" Ralsei shouted.

"Don't act like you're some paragon of virtue," Susie swung her weapon.

"They killed according to their own will," the mind raised its tendrils. "They tried to destroy that which they feared. That was their decision."

"I have heard enough from you," flames surged in Sariel's hand. "Hear me, foulness. I am the sword of the kingdom, and I shall strike you down!"

Everyone readied their weapons. The mind looked upon them, producing a noise that could constitute a laugh.

"You will join us, one way or another. If you cannot be reasoned with, then you will be assimilated by force. Fall on your knees and embrace your future!"

Sariel charged after the mind, followed closely by Kris and Susie.


	23. Collective Consciousness

Chapter 23: Collective Consciousness

"_Okay, people, stay alert and remember why you're here. That thing dies today, no matter what it takes."_

_-Central Officer Bradford (XCOM 2: War of the Chosen)_

* * *

Tendrils descended from the ceiling, lashing at Kris and Susie. Sariel fired off several flaming projectiles, but had difficulty contending with the tendrils. Noelle and Ralsei stayed back, attacking from a distance and casting healing spells.

"I don't suppose we can convince you to stop this?" Kris said, slashing at the vines encircling him.

"I will not forsake my purpose at the request of a single individual," the mind declared. "Certainly not for one such as you. An ally of the Knight is no ally of mine."

Susie hacked several vines apart. "Damn, and I thought Sariel talked too much." She glared up at the mind, "Get down here so I can kill you!"

"You are no better than the Knight. Allow us to rectify that."

Hundreds of footsteps echoed through the tunnels. It sounded as if an army were on the march. Within seconds, Downpour's citizens entered the chamber in droves. They gathered beneath the mind.

"Restrain them."

The chamber quickly descended into chaos. Dozens upon dozens of people surrounded the Fun Gang, throwing themselves at them with reckless abandon. Curiously, they seemed to completely ignore Ralsei.

Kris was tackled to the ground. He struggled against his attackers, until Susie knocked one aside with a punch to the head, and tossed the other into another approaching citizen. When she was grabbed from behind, Kris scrambled to pull her attacker away.

Sariel quickly pacified the ones lying at his feet. "Hold them at bay," he ordered Kris and Susie. "I will focus on the mind. Ralsei, support me. Noelle, fire at the mind and stay mobile."

Ralsei took up a position beside Sariel, casting pacifying spells at anyone who approached. Kris and Susie focused on fending off the approaching hordes. Their numbers seemed endless.

"Your cruel intentions will not triumph," the mind thundered. "For every follower of mine you subdue, two more are there to take their place."

Kris shoved one to the ground. "You know, for a 'benevolent leader', you don't really seem to value your people's lives too highly."

"There would be no risk to them were it not for you. Their blood will be on your hands-"

The mind let out a piercing wail as Sariel bombarded it with a fiery cascade. Noelle supported his offensive with a few shots of her own. It flailed its tendrils at them, but Sariel quickly burned them to ashes.

"Do not lecture me on bloodshed, pestilence!" he hissed, firing off another barrage.

Shrieking in pain, the mind snaked its vines around itself. Its followers started to attack more aggressively, completely disregarding their own safety as they threw themselves in front of Sariel's attacks. He struck them with enough force to send them to the floor.

Ralsei found it increasingly difficult to pacify the mind's hordes. There were just too many of them. He wondered why they showed no interest in him, but didn't pay it much thought.

Kris and Susie were getting overwhelmed. They were surrounded on all sides, and had remarkably little success in repelling the hordes. Whenever one would assist the other, they would simply be pulled back into their grasp. Sariel was forced to deviate from attacking the mind to help them.

Noelle continued to fire upon the mind, until she tripped over the mind's swinging tendrils. Her crossbow clattered to the floor, sliding out of her reach. She clumsily stood up, only to be pulled back down when a set of tendrils wrapped around her ankles. She struggled to pull free, to no avail.

Susie slashed the tendrils apart and helped Noelle off the ground. She jumped back in fright when a pair of the mind's followers grabbed Susie weapon, attempting to pull it from her grasp. Another tendril descended from the ceiling, snaking around her neck. While she struggled with it, her weapon was pulled away.

Sariel sliced the strangling vine in two, simultaneously launching flaming projectiles at the mind. He and Noelle continued to open fire, while Susie scrambled to reclaim her weapon.

"Your performance is admirable," Sariel said.

"I'm just trying to be as useful as I can," Noelle replied.

"So long as you do not panic, you will fulfill that goal."

The two of them continued attacking the mind, while Ralsei worked to pacify its followers. Kris helped Susie get her halberd back, but they were quickly encircled by the mind's legions. Their attempts to fight through the crowd was cut short when the mind's tendrils reached down and wrapped around their arms. Once again, they were disarmed.

Sariel cursed under his breath. He turned to Noelle, "Go. Aid them."

"Right." She rushed to help them, but was immediately blindsided by one of the mind's followers. He pulled her crossbow out of her hands, while two more grabbed her from behind and forced her to her knees. Kris and Susie struggled in vain as the mind's followers pinned them down as well.

Sariel let out an exasperated sigh. "How quickly a plan falls apart..."

Before he could do anything, several vines coiled around his hand, while many others wrapped around his sword. Still others wrapped around his throat, and pulled violently. His sword left his hand, and he grabbed at the vine around his neck.

The mind, riddled with crossbow bolts and covered in scorch marks, chuckled weakly. "You fought valiantly, cruel ones. In its own way, I suppose that is worthy of respect. But alas, it was all for nothing."

"Ralsei...!" Sariel pulled at the vine around his neck. "The mind is weak. Finish it!"

The mind tightened its grasp on his throat. "Ignore him, Ralsei. Let us talk."

Ralsei's stance was defensive. "Why do you suddenly want to talk?"

"You seem like a reasonable individual, I can sense it in your soul. You abhor violence, do you not? You cannot stand the idea of killing, can you?"

"I... I can't let you do this to my friends."

"They are set in their murderous ways. They will not lay down their arms without my intervention. You, however... I believe we can come to an agreement."

"Don't listen to it!" Kris shouted, desperately trying to free himself from the mind's followers.

"You need not stain your hands with blood, Ralsei. You need not walk the path of a killer. I urge you to assimilate. You and your companions will not be harmed, I assure you."

"Ralsei, just torch it!" Susie demanded.

Flames began to form in Ralsei's hands. "Stop this. Let them go. You can't make these people your slaves."

The mind's eye stalks extended in his direction. "Without my guidance, they would destroy each other. I quell the violence in their hearts so that their lives may continue."

"How can you call this living? You've taken away what makes them people. They're just mindless puppets because of you."

"Is diminished individuality not preferable to death and suffering? I preserve whatever aspects of their character I can. I deem this a worthy price to pay."

Multiple tendrils burst forth from an orifice on the mind's face, spreading out in all directions. Slowly, threateningly, they descended upon Ralsei's companions.

"Don't do anything to them!" he shouted, the flames in his hands intensifying. "I'll... I swear, I'll kill you!"

"Yes!" Sariel gasped. "Anger is power! Unleash it!"

The mind growled in annoyance. "Do not allow yourself to succumb to violence, Ralsei. You are better than that, and you know it."

Ralsei's face was stone, but his voice trembled a bit. "I can't let you do this. Please, don't make me have to kill you..."

"I am afraid I cannot allow you to disrupt my grand design. A shame, really. I truly believed you to be more agreeable."

Its tendrils wrapped around his friends' throats and crept toward their mouths. It began to pry Sariel's mask off his face.

"Ralsei, kill it!" he choked out.

Ralsei looked around and realized he had no choice. If he didn't kill it now, he would lose everyone he cared about, and likely be assimilated himself. As much as he hated it, he would have to kill the hive mind.

He released a torrent of searing flames. The mind's howls of agony rent the air as it was engulfed in fire. It released Ralsei's companions and attempted to shield itself with its tendrils, but they were quickly burned away.

Eventually, Ralsei ceased his assault. The mind's screams died down, the creature itself nearly immolated beyond recognition. The vegetation on the ceiling began to dissolve into dust.

"I must admit," the mind rasped, "I did not expect you to actually slay me..." It chuckled grimly. "I was wrong about you, Ralsei. You are no better than your allies. I hope you are proud."

The mind's body crumbled to dust, falling into a pile on the floor. The creeping vegetation in the tunnels followed suit, its remnants scattering across the floor.

Suddenly, the mind's followers dropped to the floor. One by one, they lost consciousness, and lay motionless on the floor. Ralsei's companions stumbled to their feet, gasping for breath.

After he recovered, Sariel stepped up to the pile of dust that was once the hive mind. He glared down at it, then promptly stomped on it, grinding it beneath his boot. He silently cursed its name.

He sheathed his sword. "We are done here. Let us depart."

"What about everyone else?" Kris asked. "Are they gonna be alright?"

"They will be fine. Their neural link to the mind has been severed, but they should suffer no adverse effects."

"What about the spores?"

"With the mind slain, they have been rendered inert. They should find no trouble in purifying their water supply."

"Great, then let's get out of here," Susie said. "I've seen enough of this place to last a lifetime."

"I... I feel kind of bad for helping to kill it..." Noelle lowered her head.

"Do not trouble yourself with remorse," Sariel advised. "The creature had long since gone completely mad. It forced our hand, and as such, it was killed. We have done far more good by killing it than we would have by sparing it."

She sighed. "I guess you're right..."

"Come on, let's go," Kris beckoned for everyone to follow him. They began to leave, but stopped when they realized Ralsei wasn't following them.

"Ralsei, you okay?" Susie turned to face him.

"I... I killed it..." he muttered through shaky breaths. "I killed it..."

Kris ran to his side. "Ralsei, are you gonna be alright? I know this can't be easy on you..."

"I-I don't know..." He gripped his cloak tightly in an attempt to steady his trembling hands.

"You did what was necessary," Sariel reminded him. "For that, you have my respect."

Ralsei did not reply.

Kris pulled him into a consoling hug. Slowly, he returned the embrace, before leaning into it completely.

"We're here for you, Ralsei," he whispered. "We'll do our best to help you deal with this, okay?"

"Okay..."

"I will offer my assistance as well," Sariel stated. "I have handled similar situations several times before."

"Well, you sure warmed up to him pretty quick," Susie remarked.

"Fighting side by side has a way of forging companionship. And I have had time to reflect on Doctor Gaster's words regarding him. I hesitate to call him a friend, but... I understand him to an extent."

The five of them left the chamber, and Ralsei became lost in his own thoughts. For the first time in his life, he had killed another person. He had ended the mind's life with his own hands. It was horrible. It was terrifying.

It was _exhilarating_.

To fight with everything on the line, to do battle where death could come in an instant - it was thrilling. And it horrified him. This was his original purpose: to serve as a warrior, a harbinger of death. He was thankful that he had decided to abandon it.

He told himself he had only killed the mind out of necessity. But if doing so was such a thrill, what did that say about him?

What would he have become if he hadn't rejected his purpose?

What was he becoming _now_?


	24. A Taste of Blood

Chapter 24: A Taste of Blood

"_No substitute for the thrill of the kill."_

_-Spectre (Call of Duty: Black Ops III)_

* * *

"Well, I basically hated everything about that experience," Kris said. They had long since left the city of Downpour behind them, and they were all rather pleased about it.

"Well, the good news is we never have to do it again." Susie turned to Sariel, "Right?"

"Correct," he nodded. "Our business in Downpour has concluded." He looked up at the sky, which was ravaged by blood red aberrations. "However, we have another matter to attend to."

"Right. Just remember our agreement, alright?"

"I will not harm your friend. I do not fully believe in this plan, but I have agreed to stay my hand until I am left with no choice."

"Good enough for me."

Ralsei had remained silent since they left. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake himself from his thoughts about what had transpired. For his entire life, he had been a pacifist, strongly opposed to the idea of killing. But now that he had killed the hive mind, he found the idea of battle to be _thrilling_.

He had to kill it, he told himself. He had to save his friends. He only killed it out of necessity. He wasn't a murderer, he did what he had to do. But why was it _so exciting_? Why was that ordeal _so enjoyable_?

He didn't want to consider that it had awakened some sadistic side of him. The thought terrified him.

'_But what if...?_'

No words were exchanged as they returned to Gaster's lab. Susie immediately threw the door open.

"We return covered in the blood of our enemies!" she announced.

Gaster looked up from his desk and chuckled, "Sounds like things went well."

"About as well as you can expect," Kris said as he sat down. "The mind's dead and there wasn't any collateral damage."

"Excellent." He looked down. "I hate to make you correct my mistakes, but... you all did well."

"How'd it end up losing it, anyway?" Susie asked.

"I couldn't even begin to tell you. It ran off before I could make any solid observations." He chuckled sadly. "My failure with the hive mind was probably the greatest screw-up in my scientific career."

"Sir, have you made any progress?" Sariel interjected.

"Regarding Chara? I've dug up a few of my old notes, and I think I might have something, but I need to run a few tests to be sure."

"Tests on me, I'm guessing," Kris sighed.

"I'm afraid so. Don't worry, they're not invasive or anything. They're just extraordinarily painful."

"Um..."

"That was a joke." He paused for a second. "Although, I'm not funny, so..."

"Eh, let's just get this over with."

Gaster nodded, and ushered Kris into a testing room. The two of them disappeared behind the wooden door.

"Well, I guess we've finally got some down time," Susie sat down. Her companions sat as well.

Sariel removed his mask and set it aside. "I suppose now is as good a time as any for us to become acquainted."

"Hm. Why do you feel like being friendly all of a sudden?"

"We have no other business to attend to, and we will be spending a fair amount of time together. It seems prudent to at least attempt to form a sort of friendship with one another."

"Slow down there, brother. I barely even trust you."

"Understandable, but I assure you I have no intention to harm you."

"If you say so..."

While they conversed, Noelle looked over at Ralsei. His eyes were glued to the floor, and he was trembling slightly. He seemed thoroughly absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Ralsei, are you okay?" she asked. "You haven't said anything in a while."

"I'm really not," he mumbled.

She frowned. "You're upset about what happened with the mind, right?"

He nodded. She wrapped her arm around him in silent consolation.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over this," Susie said. "You didn't really have a choice."

"She is correct," Sariel added. "However, I understand this is not easy to cope with. I will assist you in doing so, and I am certain your companions will as well."

"What qualifies you to handle something like this?"

"I have witnessed many of my fellow soldiers struggling with killer's remorse, and I supported them to the best of my ability. Granted, I was never as successful as a proper psychiatrist, but I believe I did more good than harm."

"I don't want to become a killer," Ralsei said. "I really don't..."

"C'mon, you're not going down that road," Susie assured him. "You'll never have to do this again."

"Susie, I enjoyed it."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "...huh?"

Sariel's expression became deadly serious. "Enjoyed it how, exactly?"

Ralsei removed his hat. "There was just something about the actual fight... The movements, the attacks, the risks... it was all such a rush. _It was exhilarating_."

His voice trembled. "I'm afraid. I don't want to become one of those crazy people that actually says 'exhilarating'."

Sariel seemed to relax just a bit. "I see."

"I can't even tell if I feel bad for killing the mind anymore. I really don't want to turn into a murderer, but... I can't get these thoughts out of my head."

"You know," Susie said, "I think it's a good sign that this is messing you up so much."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it means you haven't completely gone off the deep end yet."

"She is correct," Sariel agreed. "It seems that you did not enjoy the killing so much as the battle itself. Am I correct?"

Ralsei shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know... I was terrible in combat training. I barely even fought back because I hated the entire idea. But I enjoyed that last fight, and conveniently, it's the one where I got my first kill. I'm not so sure that's a coincidence."

"Just gonna throw this out there..." Susie gestured to Sariel, "You didn't seem to have a problem smoking his ass."

"I was never trying to kill him. I was just trying to protect us."

"Would you describe the feeling as unpleasant?" Sariel asked.

"I never really thought about it too much..."

"Then think about it now. This is significant information."

Ralsei went silent for a second. "...I didn't hate it."

Sariel nodded. "Perhaps you are deriving satisfaction from the sense that you are protecting something important to you. In this case, your comrades."

"That makes sense," Noelle said. "If you were alone for so long, of course you wouldn't want to lose your friends."

"Plus, it just feels good to be the hero," Susie added.

"I didn't think about it like that..." Ralsei rubbed his hands together.

"Such feelings are understandable," Sariel said. "There is a certain sense of pride in a job well done. Perhaps that is where you derive these feelings of enjoyment. Possibly the battle itself, to a lesser extent."

"But isn't it a bad sign if I enjoy the battle?"

"I do not believe so. Perhaps I am biased, but I understand that a duel with a skilled opponent can be a thrilling experience. So long as you do not find satisfaction in the act of killing, you are in no danger of becoming a murderer."

Susie scoffed. "Weren't you going on about taking satisfaction in killing the mind?"

"Satisfaction in avenging my fallen comrades, not in taking a life. The mind was a menace regardless; the world has been bettered with its slaying."

"I think the point they're trying to make," Noelle said, "is that you'll be fine as long as you don't start killing for sport."

"I'd never even think about doing that," Ralsei replied.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Sariel assured. "Do not burden yourself with such concerns."

Ralsei nodded.

"And if it truly is the thrill of battle you seek, I offer myself as a dueling partner."

"Well... thanks, I guess."

Susie placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay, brother."

"I hope you're right."

"I mean, I think you're good as long as you don't end up like Chara."

"You'd just kill me if that happened, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, absolutely."

He chuckled dryly. "Well, I guess that's comforting... in some way."

He breathed a sigh of relief. While a glimmer of fear still lingered, his friends' words of support had made it easier to deal with.

He wasn't a murderer. He would see to it that he didn't become one.


	25. The Man from the Other World

Chapter 25: The Man from the Other World

"_In time, you will know the tragic extent of my failings."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Kris glanced around the testing room as he sat down. Nearly every surface in the room was covered in loose papers and curious devices. There were multiple workbenches scattered about, each one bearing a multitude of faded scorch marks.

"Apologies for the mess, by the way," Gaster said, flipping through an inch-thick stack of papers. "I haven't had time to clean up in here yet."

"Well, what were you doing while we were dealing with the mind control plant?" Kris asked.

"Digging up all my old notes on Chara. These papers," he gestured around the room, "are every piece of information I've gathered about her over the years."

"Years, huh? How long have you been researching possessions, anyway?"

"About ten years, give or take. It was hard to gather research data because I only ever had a sample size of six."

"Hm. So, are possessions like your main field of study?"

"Actually, no. My main focus was on finding a way to break the barrier trapping monsters in the underground."

"...Huh?"

"You know, the barrier," Gaster said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kris simply looked on in silent confusion.

"...The spell trapping monsters underground? The one the humans cast after the war?"

"What are you talking about? There was no war. Monsters and humans live in the same cities together."

"There was no war in this timeline?"

Kris blinked in surprise. "Wait, are you from another timeline?"

"Yep. Where I came from, there was a war between humans and monsters. We lost, and they sealed us underground. We've been trying to get out ever since."

"Are there any other cross-timeline shenanigans I need to know about?"

"Probably not. It took some very special circumstances to bring me and Chara here."

"Apparently..."

The conversation died down while Gaster sifted through several piles of messily organized tools and devices. He mumbled to himself in annoyance.

"_This is freaking me out,"_ Chara's voice wormed its way into Kris' mind. _"Gaster died. I know he died, because I was still alive when it happened. How did he get here?"_

Kris shrugged. "Maybe it's a different Gaster. Didn't you tell me there's infinite timelines?"

"_Maybe..."_

"Who are you talking to?" Gaster asked.

"My partner in crime. She's saying you died."

He nodded. "Then she's definitely talking about another me, because I remember the day she died."

"I see... How'd you end up here, anyway?"

Gaster laughed. "It was actually just a stupid mistake. I mean, really stupid."

"What happened?"

"Well, I invented the Core, which is what gives the underground its power. Then, years later, I kinda... slipped and fell into it. I just thought I was gonna die, but instead, I was essentially pulled out of the timeline completely."

"Why?"

"I couldn't even begin to tell you. Some kind of reaction between my magic powers and the Core's energy, maybe. Either way, I basically got dragged through time and space."

He stopped digging through his tools and turned to Kris, his eyes gleaming.

"It was incredible. For a moment, I could see all the different timelines running parallel to mine. There were thousands of them, and every one was a little different from the rest. It was truly a sight to behold..."

His expression turned grim.

"...But, I also saw dozens of timelines that just abruptly stopped. Just out of nowhere, entire timelines came to an end. Complete metaphysical annihilation."

"And Chara was behind it?" Kris guessed.

"Yes. I noticed every doomed timeline had a few things in common: a human gets possessed by a wandering human soul, and they proceed to slaughter monsters by the hundreds. Then, that same soul simply jumps to another timeline, and starts all over again."

"Yeah, she talked about that once. She was pretty casual about the whole thing."

Gaster nodded. "I didn't even want to guess how many more she'd destroy. All I knew what that she had to be stopped. Conveniently, we both ended up in this timeline, so I actually have an opportunity."

"If you were trying to stop her, what were you doing making soldiers for the king?"

"Well, for some reason, I ended up in this 'dark world' place. The locals didn't exactly like me very much because I'm a 'lightner', whatever that means. So, the king and I made a deal: I make him a soldier, and I get to keep living."

He lowered his head. "Of course, in the end, all I did was help a warmonger conquer the land."

"You ever regret your decision?"

"Oh, that's just the tip of the regret iceberg. I've done some... pretty horrible things in the past, that I'd rather not go into detail about. I've been trying to atone, but... I think I've got my work cut out for me."

"Well, I can respect a man who tries to redeem himself."

"Hm. Thanks, I guess." He paused for a second. "I'm sorry for sending Sariel to kill you, by the way."

"Don't worry about it. I'm still alive, so as far as I'm concerned, no harm, no foul."

Gaster seemed surprised. "You're awfully quick to forgive."

Kris shrugged. "It doesn't really do any good to hold grudges."

"That's what Ralsei said," Gaster chuckled.

"That's right, you two had a conversation, didn't you? How'd that go, by the way?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. We sat down and talked things through, and now we're actually on good terms with each other. I think he might even be doing a little better emotionally."

"That's good to hear." A faint smile flashed across Kris' face.

Gaster seemed to notice. "I can tell you really care about him. I want you to know, I never had any ill intentions toward him. I don't blame anyone but myself for what happened."

Kris simply nodded in response, and the conversation died down once again. He watched as Gaster continued digging through comically large piles of strange devices and scrap metal, eventually locating a small scanning tool.

"I just need to verify something about Chara," he said. "It'll only take a moment."

He activated the scanner, and a blue light swept across Kris' body. The scanner's screen blinked, and displayed an image of two souls: one red and cracked, and one blackened and decayed. Despite his expectations, Gaster was surprised; he had never seen a soul in such a state.

"Well, I was right," he said.

"Right about what?"

"Chara's soul. After all this time without a vessel, it's decayed."

"So, what does that mean?"

"Essentially, her soul is on the edge of fading away. It's trying to sustain itself, but over the years, most of her personality has been lost completely. All that's left are her strongest traits... like hatred."

He paused for a second, sighing.

"I've never seen decay to this extent. In a million years, I'd never be able to reverse this."

"Was that ever an option? Isn't the world falling apart just because she's here?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right. At this point, I feel like destroying her soul would be a mercy kill."

Kris nodded grimly. "Well, I'm ready when you are."

Gaster froze. "Um... you see, there's a minor problem..."

"You don't know how to separate us."

"Right."

"Can't you just reach in and pull it out? That's what she did to me."

"I could, but it'd probably kill you. I need time to figure out how to mimic her ability to rip your soul out without leaving a wound."

"Do we have that kind of time?"

"I think so. I don't work too badly under pressure."

Kris didn't seem convinced.

"Hey, have a little faith. There's no doubt in my mind that this could possibly work."

Kris shook his head. "I don't really have any other options, so I guess my life is in your hands."

Gaster nodded and hastily wrote down a few notes, gesturing for Kris to leave. Kris stood and turned to leave.

He stopped halfway to the door, turning back. "Hey, Gaster, what was Chara like before all this?"

"What do you mean?" Gaster looked up.

"I'm just kinda curious. She couldn't have always been a bloodthirsty killer, right?"

Gaster set his notebook aside. "I knew a different Chara. I'm not sure if there's any overlap between their lives. But, if you're interested, I guess I could tell you about her anyway."

"Please do." Kris sat back down.

"Alright..." Gaster fell silent for a moment, recalling memories. "Her arrival to the underground was a significant moment in monster history. She was the first human to enter the underground, and the first one any monster had seen in decades.

"The king and queen took her in and raised her as their own child. Since I worked for them, I had a few interactions with her."

"What was she like?"

"She was a nice person, actually. She treated us with kindness, which was something we hadn't seen from humans very much. She seemed genuinely happy to be living underground, and it seemed like we had hope for a better relationship with the humans. Things were looking up for us."

"Sounds a little too good to be true, if you ask me."

"Unfortunately, you're right. One day, Chara fell ill and died. Her brother, Asriel, absorbed her soul and-"

"Wait, Asriel?" Kris was surprised.

"Yes. He was the king and queen's first child. He and Chara were pretty close."

"That sounds a little familiar to me. Asriel's my brother in this timeline."

"What a coincidence." Gaster continued his tale, "Anyway, Asriel absorbed Chara's soul and went off to carry her body back to her village. But, the humans saw him carrying her body, and thought he killed her. So they attacked him with everything they had. He didn't even attempt to fight back, and he died when he returned to the underground."

"Damn..." Kris felt a twinge of sadness. He didn't even want to think about Asriel dying, whether it was the same Asriel he knew or not.

"Interestingly," Gaster said, "Chara didn't seem to have any positive feelings about humanity. I'd go so far as to say there was genuine hatred there."

"Yeah, she mentioned that once. She said she's doing all this just so she can kill more humans. You got any idea why?"

"She never talked about it with anyone. Whatever her reasons were, she kept them to herself."

"I see."

"That's all I know. Now, if that'll be all, I need to get to work." Gaster was already laying out notes on a workbench.

"Then I'll get out of your way," Kris stood to leave.

"Any of that sound familiar, partner?" he asked.

"_Eerily familiar,"_ Chara replied. _"He pretty much just laid out my entire life's story."_

"I guess things don't change too much between timelines, huh?"

"_Why do you think I came here?"_

Kris shook his head as he left the testing room. He was quickly greeted by Susie.

"Welcome back," she said. "How'd things go in there?"

He shrugged. "There's not a whole lot to say. Gaster's working on a way to separate me and Chara, but that's pretty much it."

"Great." She glanced to the side, where Ralsei was engaged in conversation with Sariel. She sighed softly.

She turned back, "Listen, Ralsei's a little messed up after killing the demon plant. I know you two are pretty close, so just keep an eye on him, okay?"

"What's wrong? Is he okay?" Concern crept into his voice.

"He's afraid of turning into a crazy murderer. We already talked to him, but I think it'd help if you talked to him too."

"Yeah, I'll do that," he nodded.

He regarded Ralsei from a distance. He quickly found himself smiling fondly. As much as he denied it to Susie, he had felt a strong affection toward him for a long time, and those feelings had only gotten stronger over time.

He remembered Chara's presence, and felt a sense of dread. He soon realized that if worse came to worse, he may never have another opportunity to share his feelings.

He didn't want to take that risk.


	26. Confessions

Chapter 26: Confessions

"_I don't want something closer to home. I want you."_

_-Commander Shepard (Mass Effect 2)_

* * *

Kris let out a frustrated sigh. He had spent the past several minutes mentally rehearsing his conversation with Ralsei, and he had no luck finding a way to confess his feelings without making himself seem ridiculous.

He didn't even know how to begin. It couldn't have been as simple as walking up to him and saying 'I love you', could it? No, he needed to think of something else. But what? What could he say to effectively get his point across?

He cursed himself. Why did love have to be such a complicated issue?

He looked over at Ralsei, smiling wistfully. It amazed him how much he had come to care for him in such a short time. Then again, could anyone blame him? Ralsei was simply _perfect_. He was kind, and caring, and _unfairly cute_. Kris wanted to make sure he knew just how much he meant to him.

'_I'll never figure this out on my own,_' he thought. '_I need some advice._'

He looked away from Ralsei, turning his gaze toward Susie. She was sitting alone, polishing her weapon. Every so often, she would pause to glower at the blade, then resume with a little more aggression.

'_Well, it's worth a shot._'

He walked over to Susie and sat beside her.

"Hey, Kris," she greeted, setting her weapon aside with an irritated groan.

"You having trouble?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's, like, 30 year old stains on this thing. I don't think they're coming off..."

"That sucks." He watched for a second as she vainly attempted to clean off the old blood stains on her weapon. Eventually, she gave up and set it down, leaning back in her chair.

"Weren't you gonna go talk to Ralsei?" she suddenly asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know..." he broke eye contact, "just thinking of what to say."

"You just gotta make sure he knows he did the right thing by killing the mind. Easier said than done, I know, but you've got a way with words."

"I guess. It's just..." he trailed off, glancing over at Ralsei.

"Is something bugging you?"

Kris hesitated a bit before answering, "Yeah, kinda."

"What's going on?" She held back a grin as she noticed him staring at Ralsei. "I think I might have an idea."

He turned back to her. "What do you mean?"

She chuckled, "Come on, I see the way you're looking at him. Just admit you have a thing for him."

Kris looked away again, contemplating his answer. As much as he dreaded the idea of an endless tirade of 'I knew it' from Susie, he needed advice, and she'd probably be willing to help after a modest amount of gloating.

Finally, he spoke, "Alright, you got me. I think I'm in love with Ralsei."

"What a surprise," she deadpanned.

"Spare me the gloating for now. I want to tell him how I feel, but I don't know how to do it."

She seemed surprised. "You need romance advice and you came to me? Kris, you know who I am, right?"

"Come on, you gotta have something. Seriously, I'll take any advice you can offer."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. I'm not good at romance. Really, I think you just gotta go up and tell him."

"I know, but... I don't want to come across as ridiculous."

"What, like he's gonna laugh at you?" she chuckled. "You know he's not that kind of guy."

"It's not just that," he leaned forward. "I _really_ like him, Susie. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I have no idea how to get the point across without rambling on for hours on end."

"You just gotta let the words flow, brother. Trust me, he'll listen to you."

"I don't want to walk up and hit him with a stream of consciousness, 'this is why I love you' spiel. I want something a little more... you know, eloquent."

"Again, I'm not good at that kind of thing. You're the one with the speech skills."

Kris shook his head. "What am I supposed to say? That he's the nicest person I've ever met, or that he's pretty much the only reason I'm still here, or that he's so damn cute I just want to hug him and never let go?"

"Actually, that's pretty good. Just say all that again, but that way," she pointed in Ralsei's direction.

"What are you two talking about?" Noelle suddenly appeared, sitting beside Susie.

"Kris needs help confessing his undying love to Ralsei."

"Really?" Noelle couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah," Kris confirmed. "Please give me advice, cause Susie isn't exactly a romantic."

"I think you just need to be honest with your feelings. Sorry, but that's all I've got."

"So the best advice you guys have is 'just do it'." He shook his head.

"I hate to say it, but that's pretty much all there is to it," Susie said.

Noelle nodded in agreement. "You just have to make sure he knows how much you care about him..." Her eyes drifted to Susie. "...how much he's helped you improve yourself, how much you admire him..." She hid her face as she blushed intensely.

Kris pretended not to notice. "Ah, screw it. I'm going for it. If things don't work out, Chara'll probably do something to distract us anyway."

"That's the spirit," Susie grinned.

He stood up. "Well, wish me luck. I'll let you know how things go." He turned to walk away.

Noelle watched as he walked off. She was just a little jealous of his confidence. The mere thought of being rejected by Susie stung a bit. But, with the threat of Chara looming overhead, she was almost more afraid of never being able to confess her feelings.

She breathed deeply. '_If he can do it, so can I._'

"Susie, there's... something I need to tell you."

"Hold on, Noelle," Susie leaned forward, watching Kris intently. "I wanna see how this turns out."

"O-okay..." She watched as well.

Kris suddenly found it difficult to keep his nerves in check. He took a deep breath to slow his racing heart.

'_Come on, stay calm,_' he commanded himself. '_What could possibly go wrong?_

'_...He said, before everything went wrong..._'

Finally, he approached. "Hey, Ralsei, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Oh, sure," Ralsei replied. "About what?"

"I'd kinda prefer if I could talk to you alone," Kris glanced at Sariel briefly.

"Very well," Sariel nodded and walked away.

"What's this about, Kris?" Ralsei asked.

"Um, well..." He tried to find a way to begin. "For starters, Susie told me that killing the mind messed with you a little. I wanted to see if you're doing okay."

Ralsei's demeanor became a little less cheerful. "Yeah, I think so. Everyone else talked to me, and they definitely helped."

"She said you're afraid of becoming a murderer. What's that all about?"

"It's just... I kind of enjoyed the fight, and it scared me. They think it's because I was protecting you, and... I'm just hoping they're right."

"I'm sure they are. I can't see you killing people just for the hell of it. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The enjoyment thing might just be an adrenaline high anyway. Plus, you know we'd never let you go down that road. We'll keep you sane." He placed a hand on Ralsei's shoulder.

Ralsei nodded, smiling ever so slightly. "Thanks, Kris."

"No problem." He pulled Ralsei into a quick embrace. It only lasted a few seconds, but Kris savored it.

'_Tell him how you feel,_' he ordered himself. '_What do you have to lose?_'

He pulled back, looking into Ralsei's eyes. "Ralsei, I have to tell you something... It's pretty important."

"What is it?"

Kris' heart fluttered. "It's, uh... it's about you and me. I... might end up rambling a little."

Ralsei's eyes widened a bit. '_Is he...?_'

"You and I have been spending a lot of time together. We've been through a lot, helped each other through a lot, kept each other from falling apart... I like to think we've gotten really close."

"O-of course," Ralsei stuttered. "I feel the same way."

"Good," Kris nervously rubbed his hands together. "I'm... glad I met you. I've been so much happier since I met you. I can't even remember the last time I felt this way."

"I'm not your only friend, Kris," Ralsei reminded.

"Don't get me wrong, Susie and Noelle and amazing friends too. But..." Kris began to blush slightly. "...you're pretty special to me."

Ralsei's pulse quickened. "I-in what way?"

"I don't even know where to begin." He took Ralsei's hands in his. "It's just wonderful to have you around. You're nice, and sweet, and caring, and beautiful, and..." He sighed and shook his head. "I could go on for hours. Really, I... I love to have you with me."

He took a breath. "I love you, Ralsei."

Ralsei blinked in surprise, unsure how to respond. "W-what?"

"I love you. I've never cared about someone the way I care about you. You're a wonderful person, Ralsei, and I want to be with you."

"Why...?"

"What do you mean?"

Ralsei pulled his hands free. "Kris, you're an incredible person. Why would you settle for me when you can do so much better?"

Kris shook his head. "Come on, who could be better than you?"

"Kris, I'm not like you," Ralsei looked away. "I'm not a human, I'm not a lightner, I'm not even a normal darkner. Don't you want someone more relatable?"

Kris took his hand again. "No, I don't. Ralsei, I don't care about any of that. I really do love you, and that's not going to change, so please stop trying to talk me out of it."

Ralsei felt overwhelmed. Despite his feelings of inadequacy, every part of him wanted to tell Kris just how much he loved him. Perhaps he deserved Kris' affection after enduring so much hardship and misery. Everyone else seemed to think so.

"I-I love you too..." his voice trembled as he spoke.

He suddenly threw his arms around Kris, burying his face in his chest. Kris smiled and returned the embrace. The two held each other close for a brief, blissful moment. Nothing else in the world mattered; this was their moment.

Kris pulled back slightly. "I hate to see you speak so lowly about yourself, Ralsei. You're a wonderful person, no matter what you think. I just want you to be happy..."

He was cut off when Ralsei suddenly kissed him. It was a passionate kiss, but it lasted only a few seconds before he pulled away, blushing furiously.

"Oh my God, I'm- I'm sorry, Kris," he stammered, "I don't know what came over me-"

"Do it again," Kris said breathlessly.

"What?"

"Kiss me again."

"Are- are you sure...?"

"Yeah."

Slowly, Ralsei leaned in and kissed him again. This time, Kris kissed back, and the two shared another moment of utter bliss.

"Oh, let's freaking go!" Susie barely suppressed the urge to cheer out loud.

"I'm so happy for them," Noelle smiled.

"Me too. Honestly, I've been rooting for them for a while."

They watched Kris and Ralsei for a second, before glancing fondly at each other. No words were spoken, and they soon turned away. Then, they peered back.

"Hey, Noelle..."

"H-hey, Susie..." they spoke simultaneously.

"You first," Susie said.

"Oh, okay. Um..." Noelle broke eye contact, shifting nervously. "Well, you know we've... w-we've been friends for a while, and..." She clasped her hands together. "Sorry, I'm a little nervous..."

"That's fine, take your time," Susie smiled slightly.

Noelle nodded. "I meant to tell you this earlier, but things happened..." she chuckled anxiously. "I... I want to tell you now. I've kinda... I've had some feelings toward you for a while, even before all this..."

"I can tell where this is going, so I'm gonna stop you right here." Susie rested her hand on Noelle's. "I love you too."

Noelle felt her heart skip a beat. "Really?''

"Yeah. It's kinda weird, too..." She looked away. "You gotta know, I'm usually kind of a hardass. I don't normally feel this way about... well, anyone."

"What makes me the special one?"

Susie shrugged. "I don't know what to say, I'm really bad at this. I just... like you. You're cute, you're sweet, and you're not afraid that I'll bite your face off. I like that in a woman."

"I don't know what I'd have to be afraid of," Noelle smiled. "You've done nothing but make me feel welcomed this whole time."

"Well, I'm starting to like this whole 'not being a jerk' thing." She pulled Noelle closer, pressing her forehead against hers. "And, you know, you."

Noelle melted into Susie's embrace, overcome with happiness. No more words were exchanged; none were needed. This was more than enough.

Among the Fun Gang, there was no more fear, no more worrying about leaving things unsaid. Whatever may come, they would face it together. Whatever may happen, they would be content.


	27. Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 27: Calm Before the Storm

"_Circled in the dark, the battle may yet be won."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

Kris parried an incoming attack from Sariel, before clashing swords with him. Sariel pushed him back with a swift kick, then followed up with an overhead strike. Kris blocked the attack, nearly falling to his knees under its force.

Before he could react, Sariel delivered a leg sweep that knocked him to the ground. Sariel pinned Kris' sword hand beneath his boot, while his sword hovered mere inches from Kris' throat.

"That was a cheap shot," Kris said.

"You think your opponent will fight honorably?" Sariel drew his sword back. "Were this an actual battle, you would be dead."

"Then that makes it four to zero," Noelle stated. The two had been sparring for the past hour, and Kris had barely come any closer to winning.

"You are very fortunate that I am your ally," Sariel lifted Kris off the ground. "Shall we go again?"

"No, let's take a break for now," Kris sheathed his sword and sat down.

"Very well." Sariel mirrored him. "May I offer some insight on your technique?"

"Go ahead."

"You lack the physical strength to block so many attacks. Focus on evading instead. Use hit and run tactics. That will lessen the impact of this weakness and emphasize one of your strengths."

"Don't get hit. Got it."

"You joke, but it is preferable to avoid an attack entirely than to endure it."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then consider this advice during this downtime." Sariel looked at Susie, "I wish to battle you next."

"Oh, I've been waiting to beat your ass again," Susie cracked her knuckles.

"You have to succeed at something once before you can do it again."

"Them's fighting words. Now I'll have to beat your ass twice as hard."

He chuckled, "Allow me a moment's rest, and we will see if you can follow through with that promise."

He removed his mask and set it aside before continuing, "In the meantime, perhaps we can attempt to become acquainted with one another."

"You're really dead set on being our friend, aren't you?" Kris commented.

"If there is one thing I have learned in all my years, it is the value of camaraderie. It seems wise for us to build up a rapport."

"Alright, let's start with some friendly conversation, then. What do you want to talk about?"

Sariel glanced at everyone briefly. "Well, I am given to understand that the four of you have entered into romantic relationships with each other. I trust that you are all happy with each other?"

Noelle and Ralsei nodded, looking away in shyness.

"How'd you know about that...?" Kris asked.

"Watching you confess your love for one another was more pleasant than watching as the world crumbles around us. None of you were discreet, anyway."

"Well, you're not wrong." Kris put his arm around Ralsei. "We just got together, but we really do love each other."

Susie nodded, leaning closer to Noelle. "She got me to say something heartfelt. That's huge."

Sariel's mouth twisted in a way that could constitute a slight smile. "I wish you the best. I am happy for you, truthfully."

"Thanks, Sariel," Ralsei smiled.

"Funny, you don't strike me as the kind of guy to care about love at all," Susie remarked.

"I am not emotionless," Sariel retorted. "Love is not a foreign concept to me. I have felt it before."

"You have?" Noelle was surprised.

"Yes. Her name was Gris, and she was one of my closest companions. I remember her fondly."

"'Was'? What happened between you two?"

Sariel's expression turned grim. "She was part of the team I assembled to slay the hive mind. She was assimilated, and I was forced to kill her myself."

"Damn," Susie frowned.

"Sariel, I'm sorry," Ralsei said. "That must've been horrible..."

"I appreciate your sympathy." He chuckled darkly. "She would often joke about which of us would outlive the other. I suppose we have the answer now."

"What was she like?" Noelle asked.

A faint trace of a smile appeared on Sariel's face. "Gris was a remarkable woman. She was intelligent, friendly, and a gifted hand-to-hand fighter. Her every movement was elegant and graceful. She was a beautiful woman, and she knew it; she was notoriously flirtatious."

"Sounds like she was something special," Kris noted.

"Indeed, she was..."

Susie leaned forward, "What was the rest of your team like? There were fifteen of you, right?"

"We were among the most capable soldiers in the kingdom. Gris and I were among them, obviously, and the rest were among my most trusted comrades."

"I was hoping you'd actually tell us about some of them."

"Very well. I have vivid memories of my friend Ada. Would you like me to share?"

"Please do," Ralsei said.

"Ada was an interesting one. You are quite like her, Susie."

"Is that so?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Indeed. Where Gris was subtle and elegant, Ada was loud and violent."

"You got something to say to me?"

Sariel chuckled, "I mean no offense. She always amused me. She was fiery and passionate, with incredible combat prowess. The woman had the power to sunder mountains! In fact, there were rumors that she did!"

Susie laughed, "Sounds like my kind of person."

He nodded. "I could not even attempt to name a greater duo than Ada and her mighty war hammer. She moved like lightning, and the hammer struck like thunder. I considered myself fortunate to have her as an ally."

He briefly broke into laughter before continuing, "Once, she and I were tasked with eliminating a particularly troublesome team of archers. They were positioned high above us, atop a fortified wall that seemed insurmountable."

"What did you do?" Ralsei asked.

Sariel laughed again. "She did not await my approval. She quite literally picked me up and physically threw me at them."

Ralsei laughed as well. "Did it work?"

"Surprisingly, yes! With her help, I was able to handle them easily. Even she did not expect it to work."

"Well, if it works, it works, I guess," Kris shrugged.

"I suppose you are right." Sariel leaned back in his chair. "Ada was not a tactically minded person. For that, we looked to Arcturus. He was smug and arrogant, but a brilliant tactician. He never entered combat himself, but he had a plan for every contingency."

"Sounds like he was good to have around."

"Indeed. He always believed himself to be above the rest of us, and we hated him for it. But, we followed his orders nonetheless. He wore that like a badge of honor."

"Sounds a little familiar. There's a guy like that back in my hometown."

"I know exactly who you're talking about," Susie said. "What was his name, again? Smug Bastard, or something?"

"Berdly, but close enough," Kris laughed. "We've also got someone kinda like Ada back at home. Her name's Undyne."

"What was she like?" Sariel regarded him with curiosity.

"Pretty much what you described. Loud, passionate, and might as well have magma flowing through her veins."

"Basically everything I aspire to be," Susie added.

"Fascinating," Sariel said. "Perhaps our worlds are not so dissimilar after all."

"They're really not," Noelle said. "We're all just trying to coexist."

"Yes, I suppose so..."

The conversation died down, and a silence fell over the group. No one seemed quite sure how to continue.

After an uncomfortably long silence, Sariel spoke, "I appreciate you for listening to me. It has been... surprisingly pleasant to reminisce."

"It's been interesting to listen," Ralsei said. "It's nice to know a little more about you."

Susie nodded in agreement. "Makes you seem like more than a cold hearted killer."

"I take offense to being called cold hearted," Sariel joked.

"I mean, that's all you seemed like until recently," Kris said.

"Fair enough." Sariel stood and donned his mask before turning to Susie. "Shall we do battle?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she grinned.

* * *

Two days later...

Kris looked out the window, sighing grimly. The state of the dark world had quickly deteriorated over the past two days. The aberrations had branched out from the sky, and were now spreading across the land. It was a terrifying sight to behold.

"It's looking pretty bad out there," he said.

"I know," Ralsei sighed, leaning closer to Kris, "But we can fix this. I know we can."

"I hope you're right." He wrapped his arm around Ralsei, pulling him close. The two had become inseparable, as had Susie and Noelle. They were all leaning heavily on each other for emotional support in these trying times.

"_Do you still expect this gambit of yours to work, Kris?"_ Chara questioned. _"Do you seriously think it'll be so easy to stop me?"_

"It's better than sitting around and letting you dissolve reality."

"_I guess it is more interesting when you fight back."_

"Yeah, guess so..."

Suddenly, Gaster burst into the room, looking rather disheveled. There was a small grin on his face.

"I've figured it out!" he announced. "The solution was so obvious!"

"What do you have for us, brother?" Susie stood up.

"Healing magic. The answer is healing magic."

"What do you mean?" Ralsei tilted his head.

"You already know Chara has the inexplicable ability to remove Kris' soul without leaving any wounds. I've been spending all this time trying to recreate it, but it's not even necessary."

"What are you suggesting, sir?" Sariel crossed his arms.

"I have healing magic, and so do you and Ralsei. I'm thinking that if we combine our efforts, we can outheal any damage we may cause while removing Chara's soul."

"Your plan is to brute force this."

Gaster shrugged. "It's not an elegant solution, but it'll probably work."

"'Probably'?" Kris shifted uneasily.

"Well, Ralsei kept all of you alive on his own. Mathematically, it makes sense to assume all three of us could keep you alive."

"Yeah, but mathematics haven't been kind to me in the past."

"Well, it's either this or wait for me to find another solution."

"We do not have time for that," Sariel stated. "The world is on the verge of collapse. We must act immediately."

"Yeah, it's looking like full curse week out there," Susie commented. "I think we should take our chances."

Kris sighed. They were right; if they didn't do something now, either the world would be destroyed, or Sariel would simply kill him anyway.

"Ah hell, let's go for it," he said. "It's been a few minutes since my life was at risk, anyway."

"Alright, then," Gaster nodded. "There's just one thing we need to worry about, though..."

"Of course there is," Susie rolled her eyes.

"What is it?" Ralsei asked.

"There's a very high chance that Chara's soul will fight back," Gaster stated. "And believe me, she won't hesitate to kill you."

"Wait, so she rips out my soul and it's completely inert, but we rip out hers and she becomes a killer spirit?" Kris complained. "I feel cheated."

"She's an anomaly with an absurdly high LV. Her soul embodies determination, so she definitely won't go quietly."

"Nothing's ever easy..."

Ralsei placed a hand on Kris' shoulder, smiling at him. "I won't let anything happen to you."

He smiled back, "And I won't let anything happen to you." He turned back to Gaster, "Do it."

Gaster nodded to Sariel and Ralsei. A golden light formed in their hands, washing over Kris. Gaster cast a healing spell of his own with his left hand, while his right hand began to emanate a white glow.

"Looks like this is it," Susie said, looking over at Noelle. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah..." she said nervously. "As long as you've got my back."

"Of course I do." She gave Noelle a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm gonna warn you," Gaster said to Kris, "this is probably going to hurt."

"I've dealt with it before. Hit me."

Kris cried out in pain as Gaster plunged his hand into his chest. Kris' screams grew louder as Gaster reached deeper, searching for the invasive soul. A few agony-filled seconds later, he grasped the soul, and pulled.

A red light flooded the room as Gaster pulled Chara's blackened soul from Kris' chest. It escaped his hand and flew across the room, stopping in midair. He ignored it as he redoubled his efforts to heal Kris. Noelle and Susie immediately rushed to Kris' side.

"Kris, are you okay?" Ralsei asked, the golden light still pouring from his hands.

"Yeah, I..." he breathed heavily, "...I think I'm good. I'm not dead, at least."

Sariel suddenly turned, reaching for his sword. "Eyes up." Everyone else followed his gaze to Chara's soul.

A torrent of blood red light circled the decayed soul, taking on a vague, humanoid shape. Its form sharpened, until it clearly resembled a human child. Kris found her outfit disturbingly similar to his own light world attire: brown pants and shoes, and a green striped shirt.

"Well, this is interesting," Chara grinned menacingly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She opened her eyes, which shone red with hatred.

"So nice to see you face to face, partner," Kris deadpanned.

"Likewise, partner. Hard to believe this is the first time we've looked each other in the eyes, huh?"

"Funny, I always thought you'd be taller," Susie analyzed Chara's form.

"Good to see you, Susie," her grin widened. "You too, Ralsei."

"I can't say the same," Ralsei took on a defensive stance. "Not after what you did to my, er... boyfriend."

Chara chuckled. "Right, your boyfriend. You all make such cute couples! I'm almost sorry I have to kill you."

"Why do you have to do this?" Noelle asked. "What made you do such horrible things?"

Another chuckle, this one more menacing. "Honestly, it's been so long I barely even remember anymore. Killing is all I have left."

"Then you must perish," Sariel growled. "Killing for the sake of killing... truly reprehensible."

"Like you're one to talk."

"I do not kill for enjoyment, demon."

"Alright, that's enough," Gaster interjected. "Chara, I'm sorry, but we need to put an end to this. The only way for that to happen now is for you to die."

"Is that supposed to convince me?" she scoffed.

"It's a mercy kill at this point. A life where you feel nothing but hatred is hardly a life at all."

Chara laughed madly. "Look at me! When was this existence ever a life, by any definition? All humans ever did is make my life miserable. I only ever had a few things to be happy about, and the humans made their lives miserable too."

Spectral knives materialized in Chara's hands as she continued, "You of all people should know how horrible they are, Gaster. Why are you protecting them?!"

"The actions of one generation don't condemn the future generations," Gaster retorted. "Things have changed, Chara."

"Like hell they have. It doesn't even matter, anyway." A deranged smile spread across her face. "I may not have much time left, but I don't need a lot. I'm taking you all down with me."

"Not on my watch," Sariel stepped forward, sword in hand. "Your ashes will fall to the earth and scatter with the wind, and you will be no more."

Susie brandished her halberd. "Come at me, bitch. See what happens."

Noelle said nothing, and loaded her crossbow.

"I won't let you hurt Kris anymore," Ralsei hissed, blazing with magic power.

"This is for your own good, Chara." Gaster conjured a series of skeletal maws - Gaster blasters, he called them.

Kris drew his sword, locking eyes with Chara. "How about it, partner? You ready to fight?"

"Oh, I'm always ready to fight." In time with her last word, a series of mirror images of her materialized around her. "Shall we?"

Without hesitation, the two sides charged into battle.


	28. The Storm

Chapter 28: The Storm

"_You still foolishly consider yourself an entity separate from the whole. I know better. And I. Will. Show you."_

_-The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)_

* * *

In an instant, the lab descended into utter chaos. Blades both corporeal and spectral clashed, projectiles of all kinds flew back and forth, and spectral images of Chara swarmed the room. Chara herself, however, stood casually amidst the mayhem, nonchalantly fiddling with her knives.

"Let's see, who goes first..." she pondered aloud, looking between her opponents. "I mean, typically, you focus down the healer first..." She grinned at Ralsei.

"Lay a hand on him and I'll kill you!" Kris snarled, chopping down an approaching wraith.

"Well, that's hardly a threat. Weren't you going to do that anyway?"

Susie threw one of the wraiths to the ground before crushing its head beneath her boot. "Believe me, when I'm done with you, there won't be anything left to kill."

Chara laughed. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to finish you off, Susie."

"Well, then come get me!"

In the blink of an eye, Chara was upon her, a series of wraiths fanning out from behind her. The two skirmished with each other. Chara gracefully evaded most of Susie's attacks, countering with swift strikes of her own. The few hits Susie did land had no observable effect, while every hit from Chara left a deep, bleeding wound behind.

Noelle whirled around in all directions, frantically firing her crossbow as quickly as she could. Kris took up a position beside her, fending off the oncoming wraiths. He soon found himself overwhelmed; they never stopped coming.

One of them blindsided him, and he lost his footing. It tackled him to the ground, raising a knife over its head. Its body dissolved as Sariel suddenly cleaved it in two. Ralsei helped Kris off the ground, casting a quick healing spell.

Beams of energy from Gaster's blasters ripped through the air. Gaster himself was orbited by a series of ethereal hands, which he launched as projectiles. His attempts to cut through the crowd surrounding Susie were met with little success. With every one he slew, two more took its place.

"I could use some help here!" Susie called out, having been forced to go on the defensive. Her wounds were mounting quickly.

Noelle heard her request, and immediately moved to assist her. The wraiths, however, shifted their formation to counter her advance.

"I can't get a shot," she said. "We need to help Susie."

Sariel nodded. "Ralsei, aid me. Kris, support Noelle." Before anyone could reply, he charged headlong into the crowd, flames surging in his hand.

Ralsei hurriedly followed behind him, preparing a spell in each hand. The two of them carved a path through the ever-growing horde of specters, burning them down without discretion. Their fiery assault slowed briefly as they healed each other, then continued at full force.

Gaster's beams swept across the battlefield. He and Kris flanked Noelle as they fought off the wraiths surrounding them. Spectral knives flew back and forth, slicing through their targets with little resistance. Noelle kept her eyes trained on Chara, her weapon at the ready.

As soon as she had a clear shot, she fired. Chara recoiled in pain, despite the bolt passing right through her ethereal form. Within seconds, Sariel was upon her, striking down with his sword ablaze. Seemingly undeterred, she weaved through his attacks with remarkable grace and dexterity, countering with blisteringly fast attacks of her own.

Susie wiped blood from her face as Ralsei healed her. They jumped in shock as the wall behind them was suddenly consumed by a cluster of aberrations.

"What the hell?" Susie muttered.

"Chara's malignity knows no bounds," Sariel said between attacks. "The world is tearing itself apart. We must stop her here and now!"

"Oh, that's what's been happening?" Chara ducked under an incoming blow. "That's convenient. I don't even have to do anything!"

"Of course not." His fist connected with her jaw. "Your reign of terror ends today!"

Kris joined the skirmish. He and Sariel attacked in unison, but still only found marginal success in the face of Chara's superior evasion skills. The few hits they did land had no observable effect.

"Are we missing something?" Kris wondered. "She doesn't seem to be taking damage."

Gaster's blasters burned away the wraiths surrounding the group. "She doesn't have a proper physical body. She doesn't react to hits the same way you do, but they definitely hurt."

"I wouldn't go that far," Chara taunted, slashing at Kris. He hissed in pain, but kept attacking.

Susie charged after Chara, only to be swarmed by her specters. She mercilessly hacked away at them, ignoring the injuries she suffered in the process. Gaster and Ralsei assisted her with their own attacks and healing spells.

Kris and Sariel began to retreat from their skirmish. Chara, however, gave no quarter. Sariel projected a barrier to defend against her relentless assault, with Ralsei supporting him. Despite their best efforts, the barrier crumbled almost instantly. Fans of spectral knives formed in her hands, and she threw them at Kris. They sliced into his skin, eliciting a pained cry.

"Get away from him!" Ralsei shouted, his eyes flashing with fury. Flames poured from his hands, swiftly engulfing Chara. She flinched slightly as the flames consumed her, but she quickly recovered and leaped out of the fires, rolling out of harm's way as she hit the ground.

"Now you're fighting with heart," she smiled menacingly. "I love it."

She lunged at Ralsei, but was shoved aside when Kris swung his shield into her. Sariel struck her from behind with a magical impulse, slamming her into Kris' shield once more. Shifting his shield into a sword, Kris brought it down on her. She rolled out of the way and countered with a punch to the face. She jumped to her feet and continued to attack him.

Kris struggled to put up any sort of defense. He couldn't block Chara's attacks; they simply phased through his weapon. She was incredibly powerful, with every hit sending waves of white-hot agony through his body. Ralsei found it difficult to keep him healed.

Susie rushed at Chara, but she simply pivoted around Kris to avoid her. Gaster and Noelle fired upon her simultaneously. She evaded them by simply stepping backwards. Sariel swung his sword at her relentlessly, ignoring the wounds she inflicted.

"Is this really the best you can do?" Chara jumped back, summoning forth more spectral images of herself. "I expected more from the so-called sword of the kingdom."

Sariel cast a healing spell on himself, maintaining a defensive stance. "I could do so much more were I to attack you with suicidal recklessness."

"Then do it," she challenged. "I'll kill you one way or another, so you might as well impress me."

"I do not have to throw my life away to slay you."

Chara gestured to the small army of wraiths surrounding her. "Are you sure about that?"

Sariel analyzed the situation briefly. She was a fearsome opponent indeed; years of genocidal killing had honed her skills to a deadly point. The damage they had inflicted was negligible, and she seemed to hit harder with every strike. They needed something to swing things in their favor.

Chara sneered at him. "Come on. You couldn't save your team from the hive mind, so what makes you think you can stop me?"

Sariel's eyes blazed with fury. "Do not defile their memory, demon!"

She chuckled. "What are you gonna do about it?"

He stepped forward. "I will free this world of your malignity."

"Sariel...?" Gaster eyed him.

"I shall grant her request. I will show her the true wrath of the dark world's mightiest warrior." A humorless laugh escaped his lips. "Pure aggression... Ada would be proud."

"Sariel, she'll kill you!" Ralsei protested.

"So be it. I was born for battle. It is my purpose. What better grave for me than the blood-soaked battlefield?"

"At least let us help you not die," Susie said.

"Your aid is more than appreciated." He turned back to them, "Whatever happens, it has been a pleasure to fight alongside you."

Susie gave a nod of respect. "Likewise, brother."

He nodded back, turning to Chara. "Face me, demon."

She brandished her knives. "With pleasure."

He charged at her, releasing a cascade of fire in her direction. He attacked with his sword as soon as he closed the gap. He paid no mind to the idea of defense; he would stop her, even if he had to die in the process.

Every attack Sariel performed was accompanied by sweeping flames. He attacked swiftly, ruthlessly. Chara found it difficult to dodge, and every hit she took left her reeling. She met him with equally powerful blows. He neglected to heal his wounds in favor of attacking.

Ralsei attempted to support him with healing spells, but quickly found himself surrounded by specters. Weaving a storm of flames around himself, he burned them away. Kris stood beside him, slaying anything that dared to approach.

Gaster and Noelle supported Sariel's offensive with ranged attacks of their own. When she noticed, Chara shifted to position Sariel between her and her attackers. She conjured forth yet more wraiths between strikes.

She noticed Sariel's movements had grown a bit more labored. His attacks were slower. His hits were weaker. His breathing was heavy and ragged. Her eyes flashed with determination - it was time to end this.

She danced around his sluggish strikes with relative ease, poking at him with her ethereal blades. She stepped back and threw a fan of knives at him. She immediately followed up by lunging at him, sinking another knife into his chest. He let out a weak scream as she withdrew the knife, and dropped down to one knee.

"Sariel!" Gaster readied his healing magic, only to be swarmed by Chara's wraiths.

"You're pretty good," Chara said, standing over Sariel. "I haven't seen the suicidal charge strat before. Looks like it was a waste, though."

"Do not... be so quick to celebrate," Sariel coughed. He staggered to his feet, pulling his mask off and casting it aside. "I have not yet fallen," he spat blood at Chara. It phased through her.

"Well, technically, you're not dead yet," she conceded. "But, you know, posthumously, you will be." She pinned him against the wall, a knife to his throat. Her specters surrounded her, holding his allies at bay.

He shook his head. "You are mighty indeed... but you cannot hope to win. Even if you slay me... you are still outnumbered."

She glanced at her specters. "Am I?" She drove her knife into his arm. He cried out in pain, his sword clattering to the floor.

He stared into her hate-filled eyes, considering the situation. He swallowed, the metallic taste of his own blood coating his mouth. There seemed to be no way out.

Then he remembered the dagger he had taken from Kris. He glanced down at his belt, and sure enough, it was still there. His eyes shifted to Chara's soul. He smirked.

"Unholy foulness! I will take you with me!"

In one swift motion, he reached for the dagger and thrust it into her soul. She gasped as he twisted it deeper. She stumbled back, her ghostly fingers curling around the weapon...

...and she simply pulled it free. She examined it briefly before tossing it aside. A small crack had formed in her soul, but she seemed to ignore it.

"You actually expected that to kill me?" she scoffed. "That's insulting."

Sariel languidly reached for his sword, only for Chara to kick it out of his reach. He gasped, looking into those hateful eyes of hers once again. For the first time in his life, he felt fear.

"My turn."

She slashed him across the face, then sank two knives into his chest. She violently pulled them loose, blood pouring from his fresh wounds. He couldn't even find the strength to scream. She stabbed him in the back, and he collapsed to the floor.

"My apologies, sir..." Sariel hacked up blood as he spoke. "It seems... I have failed... in my duties..."

A series of spectral knives struck him in the back, and he weakly choked out his final breath. Chara glared down at him.

"I too have a duty that I must uphold," she grinned. "Farewell."

Gaster reached out as Sariel's body dissolved into dust at Chara's feet. She casually dusted off her shoes, and stretched out her limbs.

"Now, where were we?"


	29. Fury of the Fallen

Chapter 29: Fury of the Fallen

"_They wanted to fight you, right?! That's what they said!"_

_-The Drifter (Destiny 2: Forsaken)_

* * *

Gaster looked on in stunned silence. One of his greatest creations - the mightiest warrior in the dark world - had just been cruelly cut down before his eyes. Sariel had given his life in a final assault, and still Chara stood.

"Sariel, no..." An unexpected sadness gripped Ralsei. He never imagined he'd be mourning the death of the notorious Knight.

"Goddamn, just straight up iced him..." Susie commented.

"Surprise, surprise," Chara drawled, "a suicidal charge gets you killed. I expected more from him."

Gaster narrowed his eyes at her. If he had any doubts about her monstrous nature, they were gone. This thing, this hollow echo of a person, was nothing more than a cold-blooded murderer. She had to be put down.

Kris stepped up beside Gaster. "What's the plan now?"

"Yes, what _is_ the plan now?" Chara echoed. "Whose life will you throw away next?"

Without warning, a pair of Gaster blaster beams rained down on her. She suppressed a scream; it hurt, a lot. She retreated, visibly surprised.

"What the hell...?"

Gaster's eyes flickered blue and yellow as spectral hands formed around him. "You have to be familiar with the concept of karmic retribution by now. Did you not expect this?"

Chara laughed humorlessly. "Well, I should've known you'd be able to do that too. I guess I know who my next target is."

Ralsei surged with magic power. "You're not hurting anyone else."

"Like you'll be able to stop me?"

She recoiled when Gaster's spectral hands ripped through her ethereal form.

"Enough talk," he growled. "Let's finish this."

"Straight to the point," she twirled her knives in her hands. "Round two, then!"

The two charged at each other, their respective spectral armaments locking with one another. Chara's wraiths fanned out behind her, engaging Gaster's remaining allies. Kris and Susie met them with swinging blades, with Noelle attacking from afar and Ralsei casting healing spells.

"You know, I don't think it's your place to talk about karmic retribution," Chara said, ducking under an incoming blow. "I'm not sure how different you are from my Gaster, but I seem to recall you doing some horrible things yourself."

"It's true," Gaster winced as a knife grazed him, "I have my own sins to atone for. Laying you to rest seems like a good place to start." His blasters fired in her direction.

"Good idea," she sneered. "Atone for letting children die by killing another child!" She chopped down several of his ghostly hands in a single slice.

"I'd hesitate to call you a child after all these years," he delivered a swift punch to the face. "You're barely even a person anymore... just a shadow of your former self."

"Well, thank you for noticing."

Meanwhile, Kris and his companions were struggling to stay alive amid the chaos. He and Susie were constantly surrounded, enduring attacks from all sides. Ralsei, in particular, was under the most fire. Kris noticed, and immediately came to his aid.

The two stood back to back as they fought off the seemingly endless horde. Kris lashed out in rage at the twisted monsters that dared to harm his dear companion. Ralsei bent every effort toward keeping everyone alive, stopping occasionally to defend Kris.

Noelle let out a terrified scream as a specter sliced at her. She stumbled and fell, her crossbow leaving her hands. Susie ran her attacker through, throwing it to the ground dismissively. She proceeded to slash her way through the rest of them. Noelle reached for her crossbow and opened fire, picking off whatever evaded Susie's halberd.

Gaster and Chara continued to duel each other. With his hard-hitting spectral attacks, he managed to match her blow for blow. Still, she had a decisive advantage. Defending against her while maintaining a counter assault was exhausting, and Chara did not seem to experience fatigue.

Gaster seized up as he was suddenly consumed by a cluster of white aberrations. He struggled to move, but found no success.

"Oh, how unfortunate," Chara grinned. "For you, anyway."

She casually tossed a fan of knives at him, but they were intercepted by Ralsei, who stepped up with a barrier raised.

Chara sighed in annoyance. "You're really starting to piss me off, you know." She jumped in surprise when Kris sliced through her.

"Then take it up with me," he glared into her eyes.

"Sure thing, _partner_."

Ralsei cast a healing spell on Gaster as he recovered. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so..." Gaster steadied himself. "...Thanks."

Ralsei nodded and turned to Chara, white hot flames blazing in his hands. Gaster stood beside him, readying his own magic.

"We need to work quickly," he said. "I don't know how much time we have left before the world is destroyed."

More crimson aberrations flooded into the room. They spread through the air, consuming anything in their path.

"Can't be too long," Ralsei commented.

The two of them stepped into the skirmish between Kris and Chara. Susie joined the fray as well, striking relentlessly. Noelle kept her distance, taking the occasional potshot. To their suspicion, they noticed Chara's army of wraiths had all but vanished.

Fiery projectiles scorched the air. Physical blades crossed with ethereal ones. Beams of energy swept across the room. Chara moved through the chaos with incredible skill, evading many of the attacks coming her way. For every hit she did take, she countered with two.

The battle continued on as a war of attrition. The cracks in Chara's soul grew deeper and more pronounced, but she seemed undeterred. She never faltered in her assault.

Ralsei's attempts to heal his companions had weakened. His head was pounding, his hands were shaking, his breathing was labored. He worried that he would crumble under the strain of it all.

Kris and Susie did their best to power through their injuries, but they were slowing down. Their movements were clumsy and painful to execute. Their wounds were mounting quickly, and they suffered for it.

Kris' sword struck Chara's soul, and she cried out in pain. She jumped back, holding a hand over her soul defensively.

"Damn, I didn't even notice..." she commented on the state of her soul. "I guess you're better than I thought."

"You're damn right we are," Susie breathed heavily. She was leaning on her weapon for support.

"Well, I guess this'll be a little closer than I thought." She smiled madly, "I love some tension."

Gaster cast a quick healing spell on his companions. "We've almost got her. We just have to finish her off."

"Good luck with that," Chara waved her knives threateningly.

"Alright, I've heard enough out of you," Kris stepped toward her, sword pointed in her direction. "You're going down."

Chara couldn't even get a word out before Ralsei rained fire down upon her. Kris followed that up with a series of sword strikes, the flames coating his blade. Susie aided him by attacking Chara from behind. Noelle and Gaster hammered her with projectiles from afar.

Chara began to crumble beneath their assault. It was difficult to dodge so many attacks at once. Every hit she took sent sharp pains through her ruined soul. When an overhead blow from Susie nearly forced her to her knees, she came to the grim realization that she may finally die her final death.

'_Then I'll take them down with me,_' she resolved.

Having completely forsaken the idea of defense, she lashed out at her attackers with a flurry of lightning-quick stabs. Kris recoiled, while Susie powered through. Chara redoubled her efforts, laying into Susie until she dropped to one knee.

Chara stepped back, tossing fans of knives at Ralsei and Noelle. They screamed as the knives tore through them. Her eyes flashing with rage, Susie staggered to her feet and charged at Chara, teeth bared.

Susie's jaws snapped down on Chara's arm in a disappointingly bloodless display. Effortlessly pulling her arm free, Chara retaliated by driving a knife into Susie's abdomen. Susie gasped as Chara withdrew the knife, and collapsed to the floor.

"Get away from her!" Kris blindsided Chara. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone else!" Every word he spoke was punctuated by a swing of his blade.

"It was never your decision," she stabbed him in the chest. He stumbled back, but continued his advance.

"It's not yours, either," he hissed, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

While they exchanged blows, Gaster stepped up and healed Susie. Exhaustion had taken its toll on him; it took most of his willpower to even remain upright.

"What do you say we close this out?" she gave a lopsided grin, cracking her knuckles.

"I think we should," he rasped.

Noelle readied her crossbow, standing beside Susie. Weak flames burned in Ralsei's hands as he stood beside Gaster.

One way or another, it would all be over soon.

Kris' muscles ached. His limbs were heavy. His vision was darkening. Still, he continued his offensive. Every movement was more agonizing than the last. Chara struck decisively in retaliation, driving her knives deeper and deeper.

He coughed, blood pouring from his mouth. He did not retreat; so long as Chara was destroyed, he would be content to die here.

He swung his sword through her soul with a satisfying _crack_. She stumbled back, clutching at her soul. It began to break apart in her hands.

"You ready for this...?" Kris wheezed, turning to his companions.

"This is for torturing Kris for all these years!" Ralsei sent a cascade of flames her way, engulfing her in fire.

"This is for being a crazy murderous bitch!" Susie skewered Chara's soul with the spike on her halberd's blade.

"This is for hurting my friend!" Noelle loosed a crossbow bolt, piercing her soul.

"And this is for Sariel!" Gaster's blasters fired upon her, razing her soul.

Chara stood in shock, watching as her soul came apart in her hands. She was taken aback when Kris' sword impaled it.

"Consider this the end of our partnership," he spat blood.

He twisted the sword before pulling it free. Chara's soul shattered into several pieces that dissolved into nothing.

She chuckled dryly. "Well, it was a good run... Goodbye, Kris."

The spectral image of Chara faded out of existence. The aberrations littering the room faded as well, each one disappearing in a flash of red light. Within seconds, it was as if they were never there at all.

"Is that it...?" Ralsei breathed. "Is it over?"

"It's over," Gaster nodded, his gaze fixated on the floor. "Hopefully she can finally rest in peace..."

"I can't believe it..." Noelle cracked a smile, "We actually did it!"

"You're damn right we did!" Susie pulled her into a hug, kissing her on the top of the head.

"Kris, we did it!" Ralsei ran up to him, removing his hat. "Isn't that wonderful?"

There was no response.

"...Kris?"

Kris hadn't been paying attention. His breathing was ragged and shallow. Fresh blood poured from the wound in his chest. The world grew dark, darker, yet darker.

His sword slipped from his hand as he collapsed to the floor.

"Kris!"


	30. The Dust Settles

Chapter 30: The Dust Settles

"_Come back to me..."_

_-Tali (Mass Effect 3)_

* * *

Everything hurt. It was hard to breathe, harder to open his eyes, and seemingly impossible to make any movements. Kris found something darkly humorous about the situation - after going through all this hardship to rid himself of Chara, it seemed like he would die in the end anyway.

_But he so desperately didn't want to die._

He couldn't stand the thought of leaving everyone he cared about behind. What about his friends? Or his family? How could he possibly leave them behind to mourn him?

What about Ralsei? He'd never be able to forgive himself if he left him alone.

"Kris, please, wake up!" Ralsei pleaded. He desperately tried to heal him with what little energy he had left. He nearly fainted, and was only able to produce a brief flicker of golden light. He removed his scarf and pressed it against Kris' chest in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

"Don't you die on us, Kris," Susie's voice broke ever so slightly. It took great willpower to maintain her stony expression.

Noelle couldn't find the ability to speak. She simply knelt at Kris' side, silently begging him to open his eyes.

Gaster focused his efforts on healing Kris. The strain was great, but he persisted until he simply couldn't anymore. He sank to his knees, the yellow glow in his eyes dying out.

"Don't leave me, Kris..." Ralsei muttered between labored breaths, tears flowing freely from his eyes. "Please, don't..." Tiny flecks of light formed in his hands. He forced himself to continue despite the sharp ache at the base of his skull. The light faded when his fingers grew numb, and he fell over.

"Ralsei, don't push yourself anymore," Gaster urged as he helped him up.

"I can't... I can't lose him..." He looked at Gaster with tear-filled eyes, "Please don't let me lose him..."

Gaster gave a weary nod. His hands shook as a weak light flowed forth. It lasted only a few seconds before he let out a suppressed cry of pain, and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he rasped. "I... I don't have anymore left in me."

Ralsei's eyes welled up with more tears. "Kris..."

"Please no..." Noelle whispered.

Kris suddenly gasped. His hands twitched. His breathing was just a bit more even.

Ralsei reached for his hand. "Please, stay with us...!"

"Come on, Kris," Susie leaned closer. "I'm gonna be pretty upset if you die."

His whole body shifted as he gasped again. He coughed violently, slowly shifting into a sitting position. He wiped the blood off of his face, and took a deep breath as he opened his eyes.

"Kris!" Ralsei wrapped his arms around him. "I thought you were..." he trailed off as he buried his face in Kris' shoulder.

Kris returned the embrace, chuckling weakly. "Thought I was what, dead?"

Ralsei nodded and pulled back, hastily wiping his eyes. "I... I don't know what I would've done without you..."

"You'll never have to find out." Kris pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips.

Susie placed a hand on Kris' shoulder, giving him a crooked grin. "You had us worried there for a second, brother."

"Were you crying?" He noticed a slight trace of tears under her eyes.

"Huh? No. I don't cry."

"If you say so. Are the rest of you okay?"

"Kris, don't worry about us," Noelle said. "Are you okay?"

He shrugged, "Well, I'm not dead, so... technically?"

"Sometimes, 'not dead' is the best you can hope for," Susie said.

"True," Gaster nodded, his demeanor becoming a little less cheerful. "Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky enough to make it to 'not dead'." Slowly, he stepped toward the pile of dust that was once Sariel.

He grabbed a handful of the dust, only to have most of it pour out through the hole in his hand. He sighed in disappointment. "Hard to believe he's dead..."

Ralsei stood beside him. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you. Him and I really only had an employer-employee type of relationship, but... I'll still miss him." He reached for Sariel's sword, wiping the blood from its silver blade. He chuckled, "He wouldn't have wanted to die any other way."

"A warrior til the end," Susie gave a quick salute. "Valhalla awaits."

"Indeed." Gaster leaned the sword against the wall, bowing his head in respect. "We made a good team," he turned to everyone else. "I wish you all the best."

"What will you do now?" Noelle asked.

"Well, one way or another, you probably won't see me again. Either I'll find a way to get back to my own timeline, or I'll be erased from existence." He jumped a bit as his hand was seized by an aberration. "I'm hoping it's the former."

"Well, I hope everything works out for you."

He nodded. "Plus, who knows. Maybe now I can start to atone for my mistakes."

"You can," Ralsei said. "I know it."

"Thanks," Gaster smiled. "Well, I guess I'll get started cleaning up the lab..." He looked around at the crumbling walls, ruined furniture, and dried bloodstains, and sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah, sorry about the collateral damage," Susie said awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, I can handle it. Just have a safe trip home."

Ralsei threw Kris' arm over his shoulder, and everyone moved to leave.

"Hold on," Kris said, and everyone stopped. "If there's other timelines, are we gonna have to worry about other versions of Chara causing problems?"

"I can't imagine that we would," Gaster answered. "The one we dealt with was by far the worst of them all. Most of them don't go far enough to destroy a single timeline, much less the dozens this one did."

"What about the ones that do?"

"The ones that do destroy their timeline don't seem to do anything else except wait to vanish. I wish we could stop them, but we'd never make a dent in them. Regardless, most versions of Chara either aren't beyond saving, or are already good people."

"So we don't have anything to worry about?" Susie asked.

"Right. You're free to live your lives."

"Well, that's good to hear," Kris said. He looked at his companions for a moment. "...I guess we'll be going now."

"Goodbye, then. I wish the best for you all."

"Thanks, Gaster," Ralsei smiled. "Good luck."

Everyone left the building, leaving Gaster alone. He let out a heavy sigh, looking over the ruined husk of his lab.

'_...Maybe I'll lie down first._'

* * *

Later...

After a long walk, the four returned to Card Castle. They had agreed to visit Lancer before departing. Ralsei had recovered from the strain of battle, and had healed his companions' wounds.

"Welcome back, brave heroes!" Rouxls Kaard greeted them. He immediately noticed the blood staining their outfits. "By the gods, thou looketh dreadful."

"Nice to see you too," Kris said. "We're just here to see Lancer real quick."

"Very well. If I may, were thou successful in thine efforts?"

"You bet your ass we were," Susie clenched her fist. "It wasn't easy, but we got it done."

"Wonderful! Another tale of glorious triumph for the Four Heroes... and Rouxls Kaard!" He gleamed, almost as if a spotlight had shone down from above.

"Yeah, sure..." Kris humored him.

Rouxls led them through the castle, ushering them into the throne room.

"Hey, you guys aren't dead!" Lancer greeted them. "How'd everything go?"

"About as well as you can expect," Kris answered. "Chara's gone, and now I don't have to worry about tearing my own soul out again."

"We even handled that mind control plague for you," Susie flashed a grin. "We partnered up with the Knight, hunted the source, and put it in the dirt."

"So easily?" Rouxls was surprised. "Our greatest soldiers perished in their attempts to slay that beast."

"And we paid it back in kind," she bared her teeth.

Noelle's smile faltered. "Unfortunately, the Knight... died helping us fight Chara."

"Oh dear... He was held in high regarde in this kingdom. He shalt be honored, as the Fifth Hero in your wondrous epic."

"Good," Ralsei smiled sadly.

There was a brief pause.

"Well, we just came to say goodbye," Kris spoke up. "We're gonna head home now."

"Very well," Rouxls gave a formal bow. "Travel safely."

"Come visit some time!" Lancer added.

"We will," Susie waved. "Count on it."

* * *

The four quickly arrived at Ralsei's castle, and he led them to the dark fountain. For a moment, they simply stood in silence before the surging torrent of pure darkness.

"So this is the fountain Gaster used to make you and Sariel?" Kris broke the silence.

Ralsei nodded. "I've lived in this castle for most of my life, but... it's still a little surreal to stand in here."

"Yeah, I get that."

Noelle leaned a little closer to the fountain. "So, how do we get home from here?"

"You just step into it," Ralsei explained. "The power of Kris' soul will get you back."

"Okay... Let's do it, then."

Ralsei smiled at his companions. "I guess I'll see you around."

Susie seemed confused. "You're not coming with us?"

Ralsei sighed. "I want to, but... I don't know if I can."

"Well, it's not like there's anyone in this town you have to watch over."

"That's not what I meant. What if I can't survive in the light world?"

"That wouldn't make any sense," Kris countered. "We can survive here, so why wouldn't you be able to?"

"I don't know..."

"I know you're made from the fountain, but isn't your soul stable? You should be fine, right?" Kris had a pleading look in his eyes.

An image of Ralsei's soul appeared in his hand. It was upside down, and black in color. It was perfectly symmetrical, and pulsed rhythmically with magic power. It had a light crack down the center, which seemed to be beginning to heal.

The image disappeared, and Ralsei nodded. "Take me with you."

"You're sure about this?" Kris asked. "I don't want you to do this if something could happen to you."

"You're right, anyway. I don't need the fountain to live, so I should be alright." He took Kris' hand. "Besides, I want to be with you."

Kris smiled. "Well, let's do this, then."

The four of them joined hands, and stepped into the fountain.

* * *

Ralsei opened his eyes, finding himself in a place he had never seen before. It was a small room, with old toys and board games strewn about. Slowly, he stood.

"What are we doing in the unused classroom?" Noelle wondered. Ralsei found comfort in her familiar voice.

"The dark world just spits you out here," Susie said. "Not sure why."

"Just another question that'll probably never get answered," Kris stretched out his limbs. "Let's bail."

Ralsei followed behind them, noting the drastic change in their attire. He looked down at his own outfit: a simple striped sweater and a pair of jeans. His scarf was still there, but his hat was gone.

"So, we're in the light world now?" he asked.

"Yep," Kris answered. "You're gonna like it here, it's a beautiful place."

He threw open the school doors and walked outside into pouring rain. Dark clouds hung in the sky, blocking much of the sun's light.

"Well, it's usually pretty nice," Susie said.

Kris seemed disappointed. "Damn, this sucks. You're gonna have to take my word for it for now, Ralsei. I'll show you around tomorrow, once the rain stops."

"I can't wait." Ralsei had a genuine smile on his face in spite of the poor weather.

"Well, it's been fun," Susie said, "but I'm gonna head home. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Noelle froze. "Oh my God, we've been gone for days! What am I gonna tell my mom?"

"Just tell her what happened. When she doesn't believe it, we'll vouch for you." Susie gestured to Ralsei, "We've got living proof of the dark world right here."

"Um, right..." She seemed only slightly less worried. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow...?" She nervously ran her fingers through her hair.

"Absolutely." Susie kissed her on the cheek, and walked off. Noelle left as well.

"So, what now?" Ralsei asked, holding his scarf over his head as a makeshift umbrella.

"Why don't you come home with me?" Kris took his hand. "I'd really like you to meet my mother."

"Already?"

"Yeah, why not? I'm sure you two will get along. Besides, it might give me a chance to tell her what we've been up to these past few days."

Ralsei considered it for a moment before smiling, "Alright, let's do it."

They walked hand-in-hand, smiling blissfully. They had never been happier in their lives.


	31. Epilogue

Epilogue

"_On the old road, we found redemption."_

_-Darkest Dungeon achievement list_

* * *

Two days later...

Ralsei looked over at Kris. The two had been talking with each other for the past several minutes - partially about the light world, but mainly about each other. When it came to personal interests, neither one fully understood what the other was talking about, but simply hearing them talk about it was enough to bring a smile to their faces.

Ralsei leaned his head against Kris' shoulder, letting out a contented sigh. Whatever he did to deserve such happiness, it couldn't have been enough.

A knock at the door shook him from his reverie.

Kris immediately perked up. "Is that who I think it is...?" He stood to open the door.

"Hey, Kris," Ralsei heard an unfamiliar voice. "Long time no see."

"Asriel!" Kris excitedly threw his arms around the visitor.

Asriel chuckled and returned the embrace. "It's good to see you too, Kris."

"Oh, welcome home, my child!" Toriel entered the room. "It is wonderful to see you again. How have things been for you?"

Asriel shrugged. "About as well as you can expect. College is stressful, but I'm making it work. I think. How about you guys?"

A smile spread across Kris' face. "Lots of things happened this week. I'll tell you all about it, but first, I want you to meet someone."

He led Asriel to the living room, where Ralsei was currently sitting. He and Asriel were visibly taken aback by how similar their appearances were.

Asriel studied Ralsei for a moment, then laughed, "So you went and replaced me, huh?"

"Well, not exactly," Kris said. "Ralsei, this is my brother Asriel. Asriel, this is my boyfriend, Ralsei."

"H-hi..." Ralsei waved nervously. He always got a bit flustered when Kris called him his boyfriend.

"Boyfriend, huh?" Asriel smiled. "Alright, looks like I missed a lot. You mind catching me up?" He sat across from Ralsei.

Kris sat between the two. "Okay, but I'm gonna tell you now, it's a long story."

He proceeded to recount his tale. His first trip to the dark world, his return, their encounters with Sariel, and the various hardships they faced were all retold. Ralsei supported the truthfulness of Kris' story, going so far as to show off his soul of pure darkness. Asriel remained silent the whole time.

"...That's basically everything," Kris concluded. "I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's true."

Asriel blinked. "And I thought college was hard..." He looked at Toriel, "Mom, did he tell you all this?"

"Yes, he did," she said. "His friends were quick to vouch for him, so I am inclined to believe him."

"I could easily show you the dark world if you want," Kris added.

Asriel nodded. "Alright, I believe you. I'm a little concerned about the whole 'almost dying' part, though. You're all okay, right?"

"Pretty much. Healing magic is a wonderful thing."

"Yeah. So, Chara's definitely gone? We don't have to worry about her anymore?"

"Nope! It took nine damn years, but my will is my own again."

Asriel pulled Kris into a quick hug. "I'm glad to hear it."

Toriel suddenly stood. "Oh, I just realized I forgot to get a pie ready for you. Let me go get started on that."

"I'll help you," Ralsei followed behind her, leaving Kris and Asriel alone with each other.

After a brief pause, Asriel placed a hand on Kris' shoulder. "I'm happy for you, Kris. Seems like things are really looking up for you."

"Definitely," Kris smiled. "I can't even remember the last time I had this much to be happy about..."

"After everything you've dealt with, you deserve it. You definitely gonna have to show me that dark world sometime."

"Believe me, I will."

There was a brief silence.

"You know, you're not the only one who's in a new relationship," Asriel said. "I met this nice girl at the university and we kinda hit it off."

"Tell me about her."

"She's basically the nicest person I've ever met. She's a human, actually. Her name's Frisk..."

* * *

Meanwhile...

"So, how'd things go with your parents?" Susie asked. She and Noelle sat on a park bench, alone with each other.

"Surprisingly well, actually," Noelle answered. "I don't really think my mom believed me, and my dad was mostly congratulating me on being in a relationship. I didn't get in a lot of trouble, though, so that's nice."

"We should probably introduce them to Ralsei. Or just show them the dark world. That oughta clear up all doubts."

"Probably." She leaned a little closer to Susie.

Susie wrapped her arm around her, and the two were silent for a moment.

"You know," Susie said, "even though we basically went through hell, I'm kinda glad things went the way they did."

"Me too," Noelle smiled. "I know it sounds cliche, but I honestly think it brought us all closer."

"Well, yeah. It brought us about as close as you can get."

"Yeah. We helped Kris, stopped an apocalypse, ended up in relationships..."

"I'm trying to be a bit of a nicer person..."

"I think I'm getting a little more confident..."

"It's been a productive trip," Susie chuckled. "I'd do it again, honestly."

"Me too." Noelle reached for Susie's hand, and the two laced their fingers together. A slight blush manifested itself on Noelle's cheeks.

Susie noticed, and kissed her on the top of the head. "You're real cute when you blush like that."

"R-really?" Her blush intensified.

"Well, you're just cute in general," Susie smiled.

Noelle hid her face as her cheeks turned bright red. "Like I said, I'm- I'm getting more confident..." she laughed nervously.

Susie pulled her a little closer. "God, I love you."

"I love you too, Susie."

* * *

Meanwhile, meanwhile...

"And... there we go," Gaster set his screwdriver aside, looking over his creation. It was a small device that thrummed with intense power. It vibrated gently in his hands.

He set it down on the workbench. Reaching for his notebook, he scribbled down some notes.

"_The device is complete, but potentially volatile. My theory is that with concentrated power from the dark fountain, I'll be able to replicate the effects of my fall into the Core and find a way back into my own timeline._

"_There's definitely no guarantee that it'll work, but the fountain can literally create life, so who knows? It's the best chance I have, anyway."_

He tucked the notebook into his coat. He looked around the lab; the walls were still crumbling, but the furniture and equipment had been restored to a state of relative order under Gaster's organizational system. One could argue that it looked no different from when the lab was totally destroyed.

He sighed. '_I'm honestly going to miss this place._'

He walked over to another nearby desk, upon which there sat an urn containing Sariel's dust, along with his famed silver sword. Lowering his head slightly, Gaster grabbed the sword, held the urn under his arm, and walked outside.

He plunged the sword into the ground, firmly planting it in the earth. Then, he reached into the urn and sprinkled the dust onto the weapon. When the sword was fully coated, he set the urn on the ground beside it.

"Farewell, Sariel," Gaster lowered his head in solemnity. After a moment of respectful silence, he returned to the lab.

Taking the device, he looked around one last time before activating it.

"Here goes nothing..."

The device surged with power, and began to glow brightly. It shook violently as deep cracks appeared in its surface. The very next second, a blinding flash of light filled the ruined lab.

When the light faded, the smoking husk of the device dropped to the floor. Gaster was nowhere to be seen.

And so the lab fell silent.

* * *

**Well, that's all she wrote. Thanks for reading, and thanks for all your feedback. I hope you enjoyed it!**


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